


Hand of Sorrow

by StarWarsGirl22



Series: Uncrowned Kings [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Akuma no Mi | Devil Fruit, All the Vinsmoke siblings need hugs, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Women, Don't Judge Me, Don't Like Don't Read, F/F, F/M, Got lazy on the relationship tags but there's a lot in this story, Luffy Being Luffy, M/M, Mpreg, Not Luffy friendly, Not Nami Friendly, POV Alternating, POV Female Character, POV Multiple, Roronoa Zoro and Vinsmoke Sanji Bickering, Vinsmoke Sanji Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:06:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28458741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarWarsGirl22/pseuds/StarWarsGirl22
Summary: Ms. Black was Sir Crocodile's personal assassin in Baroque Works until a certain group of greenhorn pirates showed up and threw a wrench into those plans...(Summary is kind of sucky but I don't want to give away too much.)
Relationships: Canon Character(s)/Canon Character(s), Canon Character(s)/Original Character(s)
Series: Uncrowned Kings [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2094054
Kudos: 3





	1. Sir Crocodile

**Author's Note:**

> So Veles, Terra, Emma, Savage Pirates, Kara, Coco, Mara, Sirena and Olivia belongs to me
> 
> Jules belongs to a friend of mine
> 
> Buffy and some other characters belongs to my twin.
> 
> And you know who owns One Piece.

A three year old girl laid on a bloody pile of straw that was in the corner of a sea prism cage, her black hair was matted and her green eyes were dull. Her small body was covered by a tattered white dress, cuts and bruises covered her arms, legs and face.  
  
She was in constant pain from the beatings that the pirates kept giving her, they wanted her to reveal her Devil Fruit powers. To know if she was a desired Zoan or one of the undesirables but she never did, no matter how hard they hit or kicked her. She never once revealed it, she would rather die first than to do that.  
  
The girl was slowly losing her will to live. How long was she here? Was her Mama looking for her? She was starting to forget what her mother looked like, she just remembered a sweet, woodsy scent and a warm embrace now. The pain had pushed all good memories to the back of her mind.  
  
She jolted when she heard the sound of fighting and screaming then silence, she sat up and scooted into a corner as a sound of footsteps came down the stairs. Her eyes narrowed when an unknown man came into view, he wasn't dressed as the other pirates. Her nose twitched when she caught a smoky and sandy scent coming from him, he was smoking a cigar but why did he smell like sand? The man noticed her and walked over to her, in his hand was a key.  
  
"You got the eyes of someone ready to die, brat." The man spoke around his cigar.  
  
"...." She didn't speak, she just stared at him.  
  
"Heh, you want to die that badly?" He scoffed. "You're a fool, you are just giving them power over you."  
  
She blinked, relaxing her tense, wary posture. His words finally breaking through the fog that had hung in her mind.  
  
He smirked as he unlocked the door to her cage, "So you still want to die, girl? Or do you want to spite these bastards and live? You won't be a victim ever again if you come with me."  
  
"...I want to live, I want to show them that they have no power over me."   
  
"Good girl." The man said, he held out his hand. "Come here."  
  
"...My name is Veles." The girl said as she crawled towards the man, her small hand touching his massive one.  
  
"Crocodile." He helped her out and picked her up, tucking her under his furred coat before he left the haul of the ship. He passed many mummified bodies but Veles didn't look away, her pitiless eyes absorbed the death around her...


	2. Ms. Black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? You cannot tell me now that One Piece isn't a freaking musical, which it is and I adore! 
> 
> Veles will have a much more active role than what I had originally planned for her :D
> 
> The song is from Who Framed Roger Rabbit but I tweaked it since I don't know how they do dates in One Piece xD Veles' appearance is based on Jessica Rabbit who, next to Robin and Lucy, is another character female animated character of mine. Veles's English voice actress is Kathleen Turner who provided Jessica Rabbit's speaking voice and Amy Irving for Veles's singing who provided Jessica Rabbit's singing voice. While her Japanese voice actress (as well as her singing voice) is Aya Hirano who voiced Lucy Heartfilia from Fairy Tail.

A woman stepped into a large room, heading to a seated man and clasping her hands behind her back a few feet away from him. She is silent as she waited for him to speak.  
  
"Good job on finding out who Ms. Wednesday is, Ms. Black." The man said before blowing out a puff of smoke.  
  
"She was acting suspicious, Mr. 0, I just regret not getting to her on time when she left for her mission." Ms. Black said. "Now she knows your identity."   
  
"I sent Ms. Valentine and Mr. 5 after her and Mr. 8." Mr. 0 said from around his cigar.  
  
Ms. Black doesn't say anything but he knows her well enough to know that she isn't pleased about this, she did enjoy killing people after all. And she was his personal assassin.  
  
"There was no reason to send you after them." Mr. 0 said. "She doesn't know who you are expect that you are my personal assassin."  
  
Ms. Black bowed her head and said, "I understand, Mr. 0."  
  
He waved her away and said, "Good, now go do your side job."  
  
"Yes, sir." Ms. Black said bowing once more before she straightened and left the room, her heeled boots clicking on the hard floor.

** ====================================================================**

"...What!?" Mr. 9 asked. "Then why are you here!?"  
  
"Don't you get it?" Mr. 5 asked. "Why would the Boss send the two of us?" He ignored the fact that the Boss would have sent the elusive Ms. Black after them, her identity was a secret that only the Boss knew and he was the only one who had seen her face.  
  
"The Boss's exact words were, "My secret is out." Of course, I don't know what the secret is." Mr. 5 continued to say. "Our organization's motto is "mystery". We never reveal the identity of any of our people." He crossed his arms over his chest. "And especially not the Boss's or Ms. Black's."  
  
"In Ms. Black's investigation, she discovered and shared with us...," Ms. Valentine said, smiling when she saw Mr. 8 and Ms. Wednesday pale at the mention of Ms. Black's name, the Boss' personal assassin. "...That agents of a certain monarchy have infiltrated Baroque Works."  
  
"What?!" Mr. 9 shouted. "Hey, wait a minute! I may wear a crown, but I'm no King! I swear!!"  
  
"Not you!" Ms. Valentine said.  
  
"...!!"  
  
"...!!!!"  
  
 _My cover's blown!_ Mr. 8 thought. _I'm finished!!_  
  
"The spy is...someone who's gone missing from the Kingdom of Alabasta." Mr. 5 started to say.  
  
"Die!! Igarappappa!!" Mr. 8 shouted as he thought, _I won't let you touch her!_  
  
"Mr. 8!?" Mr. 9 shouted in surprise.  
  
 _On my honor as Commander of the Royal Guard of the Kingdom of Alabasta!_  
  
"Igaram!!" Ms. Wednesday shouted.  
  
"Igaram!?" Mr. 9 echoed, confused.  
  
"Run for it! Please!!" Igaram shouted.  
  
"Kyahahaha! it's no use." Ms. Valentine said from above Ms. Wednesday before she kicked out, shattering the metal hair cuff.  
  
"Oh!!" Ms. Wednesday shouted before she lashed out.  
  
"Kyaha!" Ms. Valentine laughed as she took to the air once more.  
  
"Grr..."  
  
She hears a loud explosion behind her and looks to see Igaram getting it by an explosive, "Huh!?" She runs to him as he falls. "Igaram! Igaram!!"  
  
"The enemy Agents are..," Mr. 5 said. "...Igaram, Commander of the Royal Guard of Kingdom of Alabasta!! And..." He held up a picture. "The Princess of Alabasta...Nefeltari Vivi!!!"  
  
Vivi gritted her teeth as she said, "You fiend!"  
  
"Ms. Wednesday...Y-you're a Princess!?" Mr. 9 asked.  
  
"Cut it out, Mr. 9!" Vivi shouted, annoyed.  
  
Mr. 5 started to pick his nose as he said, "In the name of the Boss of Baroque Works, I shall... dispose of you!!"

** ====================================================================**

**Rain Dinners, Rainbase.**  
  
Rain Dinners is shaped like a large pyramid, there was a golden crocodile head at the top of the building and is patterned in blue and gold. It is a casino, restaurant, and resort owned by Crocodile in Rainbase.   
  
Inside the building, a woman wearing a red strapless [gown](https://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?https://www.promgirl.com/shop/dresses/viewitem-PD1545125) stepped out behind the curtain onto the stage, she walked the middle of the stage and started to sing, she didn't need a mic because her voice carried very well in the hall.  
  
This woman was Ms. Black but the customers know her as Veles Voleuse, the casino singer. Veles is buxom and has a curvaceous body. She has fair skin and long, luxurious black hair with side-bangs that usually cover her right eye, her eyes are green.  
  
And no matter how she styles her hair, her bangs will always over her right eye.  
  
 ** _"You had plenty of money. You let other women make a fool of you."_** She walked to a wall side and leaned against it, her back against it. Veles slid down it, slowly and sultry before she stood up in the same manner. ** _"Why don't you do right. Like some other men do?"_** She walked to one side of the stage. She placed her hands on her hips and she continued singing the song.  
  
 ** _"Get out of here. Get me some money too."_** Her hips swayed as she walked and her hands remained where they were, on her hips.   
  
_**"Now if you had prepared 20 years ago. You wouldn't be a wanderin' now from door to door."**_ Veles crooned out. **_"_** ** _Why don't you do right. Like some other men do?"_** She walked to a man and just as he stood up, she placed a hand on his forehead and gently pushed him down. Veles walked away from the man, sending him a sultry smirk.  
  
 ** _"Get out of here. Get me some money too."_** She sang. **_"Get out of here. Get me some money too."_** She walked to the front of the stage. Veles leaned towards another man that was sitting in front of the stage and in response, he started to lean towards her. **_"Why don't you do right. Like some other men do?"_** She pulled away and stood up, Veles walked away back towards the curtains as it opened and she stepped through them.  
  
The song ended and Veles received a standing ovation, she walked out and bowed with a large smile.   
  
She left the stage and quickly lost her smile, this wasn't something she enjoyed doing but she needed to do something while she waited for another mission from Crocodile.  
  
Veles doubted that Mr. 5 and Ms. Valentine could handle the job without their arrogance getting in the way and blinding them, Princess Vivi and Igaram will do anything to make sure they get back here alive.  
  
Desperate people are dangerous.  
  
She walked into her dressing room and sat down at her vanity, eyeing her black blazer dress and her thigh high boots before she looked away with a sigh. There'll probably be another long break until he has another mission for her, a long and boring break.

** ====================================================================**

"What are you doing here, Ms. All Sunday!!?" Vivi demanded.  
  
"What now!? Is she Mr. What's-his-number's partner!?" Nami demanded.  
  
"She's Mr. Zero's partner!!" Vivi said. "She and Ms. Black were the only two who knew the Boss' true identity. So we followed her...and found out who the Boss was!!!" Since no one has ever seen Ms. Black and the only ones who have seen her are the ones that she kills.  
  
And everyone knows that dead men tell no tales.  
  
"Actually...," Ms. All Sunday said with a smile. "...I _let_ you follow me."  
  
Luffy looked at Vivi and said, "That was nice."  
  
"We knew that!" Vivi said. "But then you told the Boss that we'd learned his true identity! Just what do you want!!?"   
  
"Well, **that** wasn't nice!" Luffy said.  
  
Ms. All Sunday smiled as she said, "Actually it was Ms. Black." Mr. Zero had even told her himself, everyone knew that Ms. Black was only loyal to him and him alone. She couldn't be bribed or bargained with.  
  
Vivi's face paled again, she was never able to find out who Ms. Black was and something told her that neither did Ms. All Sunday despite being close to the Boss.

** ====================================================================**

Veles was stripping out of her dress and putting on her black blazer dress, she removed her makeup and puts on her trademark [lipstick](https://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?https://i.pinimg.com/564x/6f/27/d4/6f27d4098fdc17eb729e8748a90d01ad.jpg) on. She puts the black tube back into her pocket as she sat down and puts on her thigh high [boots](https://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?https://i.pinimg.com/564x/93/4d/a2/934da2e981094969ca0b0fdcba30ff70.jpg), zipping it up. Veles stood up and smoothed her dress out, before she walked to a secret door and opened it. She stepped through it and walked down the stairs, her heels clicking on the hard floor.   
  
She opened another hidden door and stepped through it.  
  
"I want you to go to the Nanohana and just keep an eye on it, make sure there's no one there that can get in my way." Mr. 0 said as soon as she entered.  
  
"As you wish, sir." Ms. Black said with a small bow of her head.  
  
She turned and left the room, not what she normally does but it was better than doing nothing.


	3. Mr. 3?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I personally would think that Crocodile would know the voices of his agents very well by now so the fact that he was tricked by Sanji never sat right with me so in my fanfic, he was suspicious but played along with it.
> 
> The Ms. Black persona has a Femme Fatale attitude, this persona does come out in the later chapters when Veles is traveling with the Straw Hats but only to help the people that she likes. This persona is also sadistic and blood thirsty, she often licks her lips and smirks at the mere thought of bloodshed.

**Nanohana, Alabasta**  
  
Veles was sitting on the bed in her hotel room, on the table next to the bed was a Den Den Mushi. She was clad in only a towel and she was drying her hair with another one as she waited for the Boss to call her.  
  
 _Purupurupuru_  
  
Speak of the devil and he shall call...  
  
"Yes?" Veles entered her Ms. Black persona as she answered it, speaking into the transceiver.   
  
"Mr. 3 hasn't sent a report to me, I want you to listen in while I speak to him."  
  
"You think something is wrong, sir?"  
  
"I just don't like late reports." Mr. 0 retorted. "Just listen and remain silent."  
  
"Yes, sir." Ms. Black said, she is silent as Mr. 0 makes the call on another Den Den Mushi.

** ====================================================================**

_Purupurupuru  
  
_ Sanji looked behind him. "What?" On the table he saw a Den Den Mushi. "Hey! It's a Den Den Mushi!" He answered it. "Hello! This is a restaurant. What do you want to order?"  
  
"Stop playing, idiot." A man's deep, relaxed voice came from the other end of the transceiver. "Why don't you send me a report?"  
  
"Report?" Sanji asked, confused and a tad dumbly. Maybe answering the Den Den Mushi was a bad idea. "Umm...who are you?" He sat down and crossed his legs.  
  
"It's me," The man said. "Mr. 0."  
  
"Mister...0...?" Sanji repeated as he thought, _If I remember correctly...Didn't Vivi say that Mr. 0 was the enemy boss' codename...?_ It then dawned on him. _Which would mean that the man on the other side of this Den Den Mushi right now is...!_

** ====================================================================**

Mr. 0 was drumming his finger on the arm of his chair as he waited, his suspicion growing.

====================================================================

"........" Ms. Black is silent as she listens, she doesn't know that voice and she knows that Mr. 0 is also suspicious.

** ====================================================================**

_One of the Royal Shichibukai...!?_ Sanji thought staring at the Den Den Mushi.

** ====================================================================**

"It's already been quite some time since I sent you my orders." Mr. 0 said. "What is your status, Mr. 3?"

====================================================================

Ms. Black smirked, Mr. 0 is going to play along with this pretenders game...how fun.

==================================================================== ****

_Mr.3...! So that must be the owner of this Den Den Mushi..._ , Sanji thought as he stared to look around. _Alright, I think I understand the current situation now...this is the enemy's hideout, and a guy called Mr. 3 is on this Island to hunt down Vivi_. He made a tching sound of annoyance. _What a spot. We're still being hunted. I hope the others are okay!!!_

"Crap..." Sanji muttered.

==================================================================== ****

"Why do you hesitate?" Mr. 0 asked as he poured himself a drink.

====================================================================

"I asked you a question." The Den Den Mushi said. "Have you eliminated Princess Vivi and the Straw Hats? Or do I have to send in Ms. Black to help you with this one job that I had given you?"

"..." Sanji blew out a puff of smoke, there was this Ms. Black woman. Just who was she? She was obviously dangerous enough to be used to keep people in line by just the mere mentioning of her name.

His eye turned into a heart as he hoped that she was beautiful!

Sanji snapped out of it before answering, "Oh, yeah...Mission accomplished. Everyone who knew your secret...has been eliminated. So you can call off the hunt."

====================================================================

"I see. Good work." Mr. 0 said as he reached out and pulled a flower out of the vase. "The Unluckies are on their way there now...to confirm that the job is done...and deliver something."

====================================================================

"Unluckies? Deliver something?" Sanji repeated, confused.

====================================================================

"The Eternal pose..." Mr. 0 said as he puts the flower's stem in his drink. "...To Alabasta. I want you to head for Alabasta with Ms. Golden week. The time has come to begin the most crucial part of our plan." Sitting in the room with him was a Bananawani. "Go to Alabasta...and await further orders."

====================================================================

"..................."

".................."

Sanji looked over to the windows to see an otter and vulture staring at him.

"Who are these guys?" Sanji said.

The vulture leaned forward to reveal the two guns on its back while knives popped out of the clams that the otter held.

"What's the matter?" Mr. 0's voice came through the transceiver.

"Er...nothing..." Sanji started to say but was quickly interrupted when the vulture opened fire on him. "Wah!! Ugh, what the heck is that!!? Whoa!!!" He raised his leg and jumped up to avoid the attack from the otter. "You want to kill me? Just try it, you...four-eyed monkey!" He kicked backwards, planting his foot on the back of the otter's head and slammed him into the wax wall.

The vulture aimed its guns at him.

"Now...just a...darn minute..." Sanji said as he spin in midair, putting his feet on either side of its head and twisting, knocking the bird out cold. "...you overgrown chicken!"

"What's going on?" Mr. 0's voice asked.

Sanji walked over and picked up the transceiver before he said, "Oh, um...Nothing. _Huff_... Really." He took his cigarette out. "Turns out the Straw Hats were still alive. But it's okay, I've finished them. Really."

====================================================================

  
".........................." Mr. 0 is silent as he drained the liquid from the glass and flower. "Still alive...you say?" The flower withered in his hand. "Didn't you just tell me...the mission was accomplished?"

====================================================================

"Er, yes. I thought I was..." Sanji said. "But they weren't as dead as I thought..."

====================================================================

"So in other words...," Mr. 0 said. "...You gave me a false report."

====================================================================

"Um, well...You make it sound bad." Sanji said, waving his hand as he realized his mistake. "But I finished them off for good this time. So there's no need to send anyone else after them. Okay?"

====================================================================

"Anyway..." Mr. 0 said. "You're to go straight to Alabasta. And this will be our last electronic communication. We can't have the Navy catching on to us. Hereafter, you'll receive your orders directly, as in the past. That is all. I wish you success, Mr. 3." He hung up. "Ms. All Sunday."

"Yes?" She asked, she was seated behind him, petting one of the Bananawani.

"Dispatch Mr. 2 to Little Garden." Mr. 0 said as he stood up from his chair. 

====================================================================

"He hung up..." Sanji said staring at the sleeping Den Den Mushi.

====================================================================

"Somewhere between Alabasta and and Little Garden...have Mr. 3 disposed of!" He continued, anger in his tone.

"You're so ruthless...Sir Crocodile." Ms. All-Sunday said as she ran her hand under the large reptile's chin. 

"Minions are replaceable. Are you talking back to me?" He asked, the only non replaceable minion was still listening through her Den Den Mushi.

"No, no..." Ms. All Sunday said as she stood up and headed to the stairs. "I'll do as you say. No problem."

Crocodile waits until she is out of the room before he says, "Ms. Black..."

"Yes?"

"I want you to keep a close eye on Nanohana," He ordered. "I think the man pretending to be Mr. 3 is one of their members and they are all still alive."

"You still want Mr. 3 to die?" Ms. Black asked, there was no concern in her voice about Mr. 3. She was simply curious.

"Yes, he failed me." Crocodile said. "I would send you to deal with this but I want you to remain where you are in case they show up."

"And when they do?"

"I don't care what you do, just stall them."

"Your wish is my command, Mr. Zero." Ms. Black said before she hung up.

Crocodile sat back down and took a drag of his cigar, she was the only one he trusted and that was because he had raised her since she was a small child. 

He knew that she was loyal to only him.

====================================================================

Veles stared at the Den Den Mushi before she ran her tongue over her top lip as a smirk curled her lips.

She was looking forward to them coming here...


	4. Ms. Black Returns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved writing the scene where Ms. Black meets the Straw Hats minus Luffy, it was fun xD
> 
> I chuckled when I wrote down "only an utter moron would fall for their trick..." because I had this image in my head of Luffy sneezing at that moment xD
> 
> Ms. Black is an extremely loyal person but it isn't given freely or quickly, she is loyal to Crocodile because he saved her from the Savage Island Pirates and she later becomes a loyal friend/sister to Jules because of the blood that they had both shed up in the Skypiea when they were fighting together and protecting each other backs, it also helped that they had somewhat similar personalities. She is loyal to Rob because she loves him and he is a cat type too, and likes killing people as well xD It took her a while to form a loyalty to her mother but it was formed, it did help that Ziva had gone to save her with the Jules, the Straw Hats and the former members of CP9 despite the fact that the last time Ziva had seen her was when Veles was three. 
> 
> Still looking forward to writing the Mocktown and Skypiea part because that is when Jules comes in and that is the start of a beautiful sisromance xD and a very funny one because they'd be making snide and sarcastic comments the entire time.

"In any case, I can't afford to fail in a simple mission like disposing of Mr.3, especially now!!!" Mr. 2 said. "Failure is not an option!!! If I mess up, either Ms. Black or Mr. 1 and his partner will kill me!!! Ain't no joke." He fwiped his hand at his men. **"DO YOU UNDERSTAND!!?"**  
  
 **"EEEK!!!"**  
  
"If you don't want to end up a victim of my "Oh Come My Way" Kenpo, find him!!!" Mr. 2 shouted said. "Find Mr. 3!!!"   
  
**"TAKE THE SWANDA BACK TO ALABASTA AT FULL SPEED!!!"** Mr. 2 shouted. **"UNDERSTAND!!? DON'T LET A SINGLE VESSEL GET BY US--NOT EVEN A ROWBOAT!!!"  
  
"AYE-AYE, MR.2 BON CLAY, SIR!!!"**

** ====================================================================**

"The guardian deity of Alabasta!!!"  
  
"Crocodile!!!"  
  
"Crocodile!!!"  
  
"The King of the desert!!! Sir Crocodile!!!"  
  
Veles stopped walking when her keen hearing picked up the sounds of people cheering and shouting, in her arms were bags filled with groceries. She looked to the side and narrowed her green eyes when she saw a pillar of sand a few blocks from where she was.  
  
 _...Mmm, the sounds of screaming and shouting that I was hearing earlier must have been caused by attacking pirates_ , Veles thought before she smirked. _And **he** came to deal with them..._.  
  
She looked away with a smirk still on her lips and continued to walk, heading to the hotel she was staying in. There was no reason for her to go to him, she had gotten her orders and she will remain where she is until he summons her again.

** ====================================================================**

"But...just what kind of outfit is this Baroque Works?" Usopp asked, raising his hands, Chopper was seated next to him and scratching his belly. "I mean, what's with all those numbers?"  
  
Zoro rubbed his eye and started to lie down as he thought, _Baroque Works..._.  
  
"Their system is simple..." Vivi explained. "Sir Crocodile, alias Mr. 0, is at the top."  
  
"...." Usopp, Nami and Sanji listened while Zoro yawned hugely.  
  
"And taking orders directly from him are the agents--12 and a beast." Vivi said raising her hand, curling her fingers expect her index. "They all have code names. The men are numbers and the women are days, expect for Ms. Black. Anyways each man is paired with an equally lethal woman. Mr. 13 and Ms. Friday are special. They execute any agents who fail while Ms. Black is Crocodile's personal assassin and is sent after any traitors, which doesn't happen often since to everyone in Baroque Works is scared of her despite no one ever seeing her, just saying her name will frighten the agents into obedience." She didn't understand why Crocodile didn't send her after them but it was for the best if she didn't look a gift horse in the mouth. "All agents from Mr. 5 up are called "Officers Agents". Most of them have Devil Fruit powers. They handle the most important missions. After them come the "Frontier Agents". They command the lower operatives...and collect booty for the company at the entrance to the grand line. That's the criminal organization known as Baroque Works."  
  
"Oh yeah!!? Then we'll get this Crocodile guy!!!" Luffy shouted as he thrusted his fist forward in a punching motion. "We'll kick his butt!!!"  
  
"You didn't follow any of that, did you?" Sanji asked, annoyed.  
  
"So...if Baroque Works' ultimate goal is the takeover of Alabasta..." Nami said as she leaned against the mast with her thumb on her lips. "...Then the remaining officer agents will be coming together."  
  
"Yes." Vivi said. 

** ====================================================================**

"What'll we do? Nanohana is a big place." Vivi said, worried. "How will we ever find Luffy!?"  
  
Unbeknownst to the crew, they were being watched by a certain woman who had been sunbathing in a [swimsuit](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/a6/dc/cd/a6dccd66528c191a3ebdb141e16cd7fe.jpg) on a rock out of sight of the pirates and Luffy had ran past her sunbathing rock, unaware of the potential danger that he had just left his friends in.  
  
"Don't worry, Vivi," Sanji said. "Just look for the noisiest place in town. He's bound to be there."  
  
The woman's green eyes narrowed as she thought, _Vivi? Oh, how lucky am I ~..._.  
  
"Ha ha ha, You got that right!" Usopp said.  
  
Nami crossed her arms and said, "Let's hope not! Luffy needs to remember he's got a price on his head. There could be bounty hunters around!!"  
  
"Don't worry about Luffy," Zoro said. "Let's eat. We can make plans after that."  
  
"Wait, that's...!!" Vivi said noticing something. "Mr. 3's ship!!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"You mean that jerk is still alive!?" Usopp asked.  
  
"That ship runs on Mr. 3's Wax-Wax powers," Vivi explained. "He's somewhere in this Kingdom."  
  
"Oh my, Mr. 2 failed his mission?" A smoky voice purred out from above them. "Mr. 0 won't like that at all~."  
  
"!!!!"  
  
The Straw Hats and Vivi all looked up to see a woman lying on her side, an arm lying on the curve of her waist while she was resting her cheek on the fist of the propped up arm. She was on a thickly padded blanket.  
  
Sanji's eye turned into a heart.  
  
"So hot ~!!!"  
  
The woman is buxom and had a curvaceous body. She had fair skin and long, luxurious black hair with side-bangs that covered her right eye, her eye is green in color.  
  
And she was very attractive.  
  
In other words, she was exactly Sanji's type.  
  
She gave a closed eye smile that was sultry and had a predatory hint to it.  
  
"Who are you?" Zoro demanded, his hand on the hilt of his sword.  
  
"What do you think you are doing, Moss-head?!" Sanji demanded, glaring at Zoro with fire in his eye.  
  
"Shut up, love-cook," Zoro said, his eyes on the prone figure of the woman who was now watching them through heavy lidded eyes and that smile still on her lips. "She is clearly an agent of Baroque Works."  
  
"Who are you?" Vivi asked, repeating Zoro's question.  
  
The woman sighed heavily as she rolled onto her front and slowly sat up, moving to dangle her shapely legs over the side of the rock. "I am Ms. Black, Ms. Wednesday," She lazily, sensually tossed her hair over her shoulder so that it would hang down her back. "Or should I call you Princess Vivi now?"  
  
The Straw Hats, including Sanji after Zoro snapped him out of his swooning over the woman, immediately got into fighting positions, standing in front of Vivi to protect her from this woman.  
  
Ms. Black smiled at their actions, as if amused by it before she says, "Now, now there's no need to be so defensive. I wasn't ordered to kill you, just to stall you."  
  
"And how are you going to stall us?" Nami asked with a glare.  
  
Ms. Black eyed her before she crossed her legs causing Sanji's eye to turn into a heart once more and his lower half to spin in a circle as he sang his love and admiration for her. "Little girl, you better have the fighting experience to back that look up because I am not like any of the weaklings you had no doubt fought against before arriving to the Grand Line." She said with a smile.  
  
The smile caused shivers of fear to run down Vivi's, Usopp's, Nami's and Chopper's spines, it looked pleasant but there was a slight sadistic edge to it.  
  
A shiver ran down Sanji's spine as well but it wasn't a fear based one.  
  
"But to answer your question, little mouse, I was only ordered to stall you," Ms. Black said, Nami bristling at the insulative nickname but didn't say anything. "Of course, Mr. 0 also said that he didn't care how I did it as long as I stall you. After all, I can't let you simply go about your business, you'll get in Mr. Zero's way."   
  
"Why are you so loyal to him?!" Vivi demanded, her anger getting the best of her. "You always carry out his orders without question!"  
  
"That isn't any of your business, girl." Ms. Black said with a closed eye friendly smile, contrasting with her blunt refusal to share her reasoning why she was so loyal to Crocodile. "We're not friends so there's no reason for me to even tell you anything." She opened her eyes into slits, they can see a faint sliver of green. "All you need to know about me is that I am his personal assassin that serves him loyally."  
  
Ms. Black stood up as black fur started to sprout from her arm, going down to her hands and turning her nails into thick black claws...  
  
 _Purupurupuru_  
  
She stopped in mid-transformation, her green eyes going to something buried underneath a pile of clothes before the fur disappeared from her limb. Ms. Black bent over and removed the black fabric to reveal a baby Den Den Mushi, she picked it up and answered it. "Yes?"  
  
"Return, Ms. Black, it's time for you to step out of the shadows and into the light."  
  
A predatory smirk as she said, "As you wish, Mr. 0." She ended the call and looked back at the Straw Hats and the Princess. "Shame, I was going to have fun~." Ms. Black bent over and started to get dress, Sanji eye turned into a heart as she put on her stockings.  
  
Nami smacked Sanji in an attempt to snap him out of it but it didn't work. "Don't you have any modesty!?" She demanded.  
  
Ms. Black paused in mid-buttoning up the dress shirt that she wore underneath the blazer dress, her green eyes staring at Nami in silence before she said, "It's not at though I changed out of my swimsuit in front of you, I am only putting on the clothes that I had on over it back on." She finished buttoning it up but she left a few buttons undone to reveal her cleavage before she bent over and picked up her blazer, she shrugged it over and buttoned it up than she sits back down and puts on her thigh high boots. "You also can turn around if you are so bothered by me getting dressed."  
  
Nami glowered at her in response to the dark haired woman's dismissal.  
  
"I will be seeing you again," Ms. Black said as she stood up. "If nothing bad happens to you during whatever business that you have to do here." She gives a sarcastic bow. "Good bye." Than she did a back flip off the rock on the opposite side, disappearing from their sight. They heard a loud roar on an engine starting and a cloud of sand being kicked up.  
  
Chopper's blue nose twitched as the sound of the engine and the sand cloud started to become faint, "She's gone..."  
  
"So sexy~!" Sanji cooed, his eye a heart.  
  
"She's our enemy!" Nami snapped at him. "That woman wants to kill Vivi as well!"  
  
Vivi wrapped her arms around her and rubbed her biceps, "That was my first time being in her presence and talking to her....I felt like an injured bird that was under the watchful gaze of a cat." A cat that knew it had wounded prey but was taking its sweet time to deliver the killing blow.  
  
That was what she felt while they were in the presence of Ms. Black.  
  
"I wasn't afraid of her!" Usopp said but his legs were shaking in contrast to his brave words. "I can take her on!"  
  
"Don't!" Chopper suddenly shouted, surprising them. "She's a carnivorous Zoan type and they are a lot more violent!" He was shivering in fear.  
  
"You know what type she was?" Zoro asked.  
  
"A cat type, something with black fur." Chopper said. "It's hard to tell when she didn't do a full transformation only a partial one."  
  
Zoro had a hand on the hilt of one of his swords, "I am sure we'll find out when we see her again, she is Crocodile's personal assassin and will be wherever he is..."

** ====================================================================**

"The plan goes into action in just two more days." Crocodile said as he stared out the window. "Have you made all the arrangements?"  
  
"Yes, everything is in place." Ms. All-Sunday said. "150 of the billions are standby at Nanohana. I've recalled Mr. 2 as well, but it seems Mr. 3 couldn't be found."  
  
"..." Crocodile is silent, there was no need to mention Ms. Black. She always obeyed him without question so there was no need to worry about her being late or disobeying him.  
  
"All the officer agents will gather tonight at the Spiders cafe at eight o'clock." Ms. All-Sunday continued to say.   
  
"Hmm...Very good." Crocodile finally said.  
  
"It's already five o'clock." Ms. All-Sunday said, glancing at the clock. "They'll be gathering soon."

** ====================================================================**

Ms. Black was speeding through the desert on her motorcycle, her head was covered by a black helmet so the wind or sand wouldn't be in her face as she drove back to Rainbase.  
  
She should get there by 8 o'clock if she didn't have any problems with those thieving birds though only an utter moron would fall for their trick...

** ====================================================================**

"Wait, Mr. 1! Let's all calm down!"  
  
"Don't stop me, Ms. Doublefinger." Mr. 1 said. "I'm going to kill him!"  
  
"Let go of me, Fatty!" Mr. 2 shouted at Mr. 4, struggling underneath his massive bulk.  
  
"Mr. 2, calm down!!" Pola shouted. "It's eight o'clock and all the agents are here. And our orders have been delivered to Spiders café. Now we'll go to Rainbase, the town of dreams. The one we call "Boss", whose face we've never seen, is waiting for us there."

** ====================================================================**

"They should be heading for Rainbase about now." Ms. All-Sunday said. "Bunchi should get them here by morning." 

** ====================================================================**

"I never dreamed that **you** were Ms. Doublefinger, Pola!!" Mr. 2 said.  
  
Ms. Doublefinger chuckled as she said, "I never said that I wasn't."  
  
"I wonder if we will learn the true identity of Ms. Black." Mr. 2 said as he looked at the window of the carriage.  
  
"I'm sure that we will." Ms. Doublefinger said.

** ====================================================================**

Ms. Black came to a stop in front of Rainbase, she turned off her motorcycle and pulled off her helmet as she slung her legs over the side and stood up. She placed the helmet down on the seat before she brushed off the sand off her clothes, smoothing them out of the wrinkles and creases that had formed during her travel.  
  
She walked towards the entrance and entered the casino, the workers bowing or inclining their heads towards her as she passed them. Her swaying hips drawing the eyes of both men **and** women that she had passed but she ignored them, she only had one destination in mind and nothing was going to stop her.  
  
Ms. Black entered the VIP area and turned the corner, she touched the wall and a hidden door opened. She entered it and closed it behind her, the door closing behind her and blending back into the wall.

** ====================================================================**

"Have the billions in Nanohana been notified?" Crocodile asked.  
  
"Our usual messengers, the Unluckies, never came back." Ms. All-Sunday said. "So I dispatched the substitutes, the lizard runners."  
  
"....." Crocodile is silent at first before replying. "I see. Good work." He glanced at the clock and a smirk curled his lips. "Ms. Black should be here by now, you may go."  
  
"Yes, sir." Ms. All-Sunday said with a bow, while both women did know about each and had seen each other before and ever spoke, Crocodile still liked to keep the two apart.  
  
Ms. All Sunday stood up and left the room.  
  
Crocodile sat down in his chair and seconds later, he hears the sound of high heels clicking on the hard floor.  
  
"I don't trust her, I never did." He said bluntly.   
  
Ms. Black smiled as she sat on the arm of his chair, crossing her legs, "And you trust me?"  
  
Crocodile looked at her before he looked away, closing his eyes as he said, "I found and raised you, I trust you because you will never betray or go against me because of the debt you owe me."  
  
Ms. Black inclined her head in agreement, he was right of course. He had found her and saved her from hell, raising her and than later having people train her to become his personal assassin. Of course, he had lent a hand in her training as well. Crocodile didn't hold back against the girl that some might consider as his adopted daughter.   
  
She was loyal to him and would never think about betraying him, she owed him her life.


	5. Operation Utopia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have I said how much I love Bon Clay? He is just fantastic xD Veles is amused when he told her that she was "just sooo sexy!" and was "just his type!" upon seeing her for the first time xD not many men say that to her when they find out who she was lol.
> 
> It's official Veles had seen Rob before the Water 7 arc but never spoke to him, it was just a brief glance.

"This ain't no joke!!" Mr. 2 shouted. "How long must we wait!!? They could have at least brought out some octopars!!" He started to spin. "I'm going to spin!! When I spin, I look like a swan!!"  
  
"Huh huh huh!" Mr. 4 laughed.  
  
"Calm down, Mr. 2 Bon Clay." Ms. Doublefinger said.  
  
"Quiet, you fool!! Your jabber makes my back hurt!!" Ms. Merry Christmas shouted as she banged on the table.  
  
"You too, Ms. Merry Christmas." Ms. Doublefinger added.  
  
Ms. All Sunday laughed as she said, entering the room, "I guess it was too much to expect you all to get along. Not that you need to..."  
  
"Ms. All Sunday!"  
  
"Oh, Sunday, how deux you do!!?"  
  
"Shut up, you fool!!"  
  
"I know it was a long trip, but I am glad you all made it." Ms. All Sunday said, holding out her arms. "It's wonderful to see your faces."  
  
"Where are we, Ms. All Sunday?" Mr. 1 asked.  
  
"Bunchi brought you here by the back roads. But you've all heard of this place. People come here to get rick quick at the gambling tables." Ms. All Sunday answered. "This is Rainbase, the city of dreams..."  
  
"And this building we're in right now towers over the center of Rainbase." A smoky voice interrupted Ms. All Sunday, they all looked over to see a [woman](https://www.deviantart.com/kennera/art/Ms-Black-808685607) walking towards them. "It's the city's biggest casino...you're in Rain Dinners right now."  
  
"Ms. Black." Ms. All Sunday said in greeting, once the woman came to a stop at the chair that was turned away from the table.  
  
"Ms. All Sunday." Ms. Black returned the greeting.  
  
"WHAT?!" The Officer Agents shouted expect for Mr. 1 and Mr. 4 who had looks of surprise on their faces.  
  
This was the infamous Ms. Black? Mr. 0's personal assassin!? They weren't expecting her to look like that!!  
  
Mr. 2 was the first to overcome his shock when he noticed her beauty, "Oh!! You are sooo sexy! Just my type.💗" He winked at her. "I could just eat you up.💗"  
  
"....." Ms. Black stared at him before a smile curled her dark red lips up, one that was sultry and had a predatory hint to it. "You have great taste, Mr. 2," She seemed to have purred that out and it sent shivers down everyone's spines. "But Ms. All Sunday wasn't done. Ms. All Sunday?"   
  
"Thank you, Ms. Black," Ms. All Sunday said as she walked to the table and placed a hand there. "Now, if there are not any more questions, we'll get down to business."  
  
"Please do!!" Ms. Merry Christmas shouted, once more banging on the table. "Just start! Get going! Start!!"  
  
Ms. Black's green eyes narrowed in annoyance at Ms. Merry Christmas's actions but she doesn't say or leave her spot next to the chair.  
  
"But first, allow me to introduce someone whose face you've never seen--the President of Baroque Works!!"  
  
Mr. 1's eyes narrowed as he stared at the first dark haired woman, ignoring the second one who was just watching them now silently.  
  
"Until now, I've acted as his face and mouthpiece. But that's no longer necessary." Ms. All Sunday said.  
  
Ms. Black stepped away from the chair just as a voice spoke from it, "The time has come..."  
  
"!!?"  
  
"Waah!!!"  
  
All the Officer Agents snapped their heads towards the chair, watching it as it turned around to reveal a familiar looking man seated in it. "Operation Utopia. This is Baroque Works' ultimate plan."  
  
"....!?"  
  
"Huh!!?"  
  
"Ack!!"  
  
"Sir Crocodile!!?"  
  
"....I see you recognize him or his public face, at least." Ms. All Sunday said.  
  
Ms. Black smirked as she leaned against Crocodile's chair, draping her arm over the top of it. Their reactions obviously amused her.  
  
"That's just some V.I.P. who just showed up." Ms. Merry Christmas said.  
  
"Recognize him!? He's a pirate! One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!!" Ms. Doublefinger shouted.  
  
 **"DON'T TELL ME WE'RE HENCHMEN FOR A PIRATE!!?"** Mr. 2 shrieked.  
  
"You're our boss?" Mr. 1 asked as he looked at the other man.  
  
A darkness went over Crocodile as he asked, "Disappointed?" Ms. Black straightened her posture, her arms are held at her sides in a relaxed position but the officers are still getting a threatening vibe from her. They immediately crossed their arms and sat back in their seats.  
  
"Not disappointed, just confused." Ms. Doublefinger answered. "Why would one of the pirate allies of the World Government create an organization like this?"  
  
They watched as Ms. Black's posture changed, a hand going to her hip as the threatening vibe vanished from her body just as quickly as it had appeared.  
  
"I'm not interested in money or status," Crocodile answered. "I want military might."  
  
"Military might!?"  
  
Crocodile placed a cigar in his mouth, Ms. Black pulled out a [lighter](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/e9/f2/61/e9f26174317a6432ac11fa72e1a8b35a.jpg) from the pocket of her blazer and flicked it open then lite his cigar. His eyes were closed as he said, "I will now reveal to you my true aim. The ultimate goal of Baroque Works...."

\--------------------------

Crocodile put out the cigar, finishing up with his explanation. Ms. Black was now seated on the arm of his chair, her body angled in a way where she wouldn't be in his way. Her leg was crossed over the other as she watched the officers with a smile on her red lips.  
  
"Such a thing actually exists in this kingdom!!?" Mr. 2 said with an excited smile. "And we're going to take it away, kingdom and all!? This is so exciting!!"  
  
"So this is what we've been working toward all along?" Mr. 1 asked.  
  
"Correct. Since the very beginning of Baroque works everything we've done was in preparation for this. Ms. Black had even gone all the way to Water 7 to stop another traitor from reporting our mission to the World Government." Crocodile said, he motioned to the woman at his side with a smirk before he motioned to the papers in front of the officers. "Those are my final instructions to you. The time has come for Alabasta to disappear."  
  
The Office agents picked up the papers and read them before burning them on the candles in front of them.  
  
"When your individual missions have been carried out, the kingdom of Alabasta will self-destruct!!! With nowhere to go, the rebels and citizens will inevitably fall under the control of Baroque Works!!" Crocodile said. "In a single night, the kingdom of will become our utopia!!! This is Baroque Works' ultimate plan--Operation Utopia. Failure is not an option. We begin at seven o'clock in tomorrow morning!!!"  
  
"Right."  
  
"I pray for your success." Crocodile said with a smirk, his cigar in his mouth.  
  
"Operation Utopia?" A voice said from above them. "Can you wait a minute?"  
  
Silence.  
  
Crocodile looked over to Mr. 3 who stood at the top of stairs, Ms. Black stood up from her seated position and stepped around the chair so that she was near the stairs. Once again there was a threatening vibe coming from her, her arms were crossed over her chest and her hip cocked.  
  
"Mr. 3!!" Ms. All Sunday shouted. "How did you get into this secret underground base!?"  
  
"Mr. 3!!! How on Earth did you sneak up on us!!?" Mr. 2 shouted. "I was instructed to get rid of you!"  
  
"Wait, Mr. 2!!!" Crocodile ordered.  
  
"I didn't sneak up on anybody!" Mr. 3 said. "I just followed you from the Spiders Café. I hitched a ride behind Bunchi. Hello, boss! I've come to ask you to give me a second chance. Since I wasn't able to complete my mission, it was only natural that Mr. 2 would come after me. So I changed course and headed for the agent rendezvous at the Spider Café."  
  
"......." Crocodile is silent as he listened, Ms. Black uncrossed her arms and placed one hand on her hip while the other was held at her side. The threatening vibe once again disappearing as soon as it appeared.  
  
"The Straw Hat pirates and Princess Vivi got away."  
  
Neither Crocodile or Ms. Black had the expected reactions to hearing that, in fact they seemed like they knew about it.  
  
Ms. Black looked over at Crocodile and said, "The last time I saw them was at Nanohana."  
  
"Yes, so you have told me." Crocodile said as he blew out a puff of smoke.  
  
"Mr. Zero, Ms. Black, what's all this about!!? I don't understand any of this!!!" Mr. 2 shouted, turning to face Crocodile.

\-----------------

"I know those pirates!" Mr. 2 shouted, a horrified and shocked looked on his face.  
  
"What!?"  
  
"On my way here, I meet these guys!!!" Mr. 2 shouted before he slapped his hand on the drawings before he slapped it against his face to change it into the faces of the Straw Hat Pirates. "Him!!! Him!!! Her!!! Him!!! And it!!!" Ms. Black thought that seeing Mr. 2 turn his face into that adorable little reindeer was creepy, it was even creepier when Mr. 2's voice coming from him. "And this is Ms. Wednesday!! She's Princess Vivi!!? You're telling me they're our enemies!!?"  
  
"Yes. They know my true identity. They must be dealt with before they interfere with our plans!" Crocodile said, taking his cigar out and blowing out some smoke before he puts it back in. "Mr. 2, take photos of those faces."  
  
"But boss!! I can deal with those five and Vivi!!" Mr. 3 shouted.  
  
"SHUT UP, YOU BRAINLESS FOOL!!!!" Crocodile roared, grabbing Mr. 3's neck. "Mr.3'!!! Do you know why I gave you that position? **Do you!?** "  
  
"...!!! Ugh..." Mr. 3's skin started to get wrinkly.  
  
"You're not strong like Mr. 4!!!"  
  
"...!!"  
  
"But I thought what you lacked in brawn, you'd make up for with your ruthlessness. But you disappoint me!!! There's nothing more pathetic than someone who fails at the crucial moment!!!"  
  
"Agh...ugh!!!"  
  
"Wh-what are you doing to him!?"  
  
"He's drying up!!"  
  
Crocodile released Mr. 3, dropping him to the ground.  
  
Mr. 3 gasped, "Wa...wa...water."  
  
Crocodile walked away from him, he pushed a button and said, "Have all the water you want."  
  
A trap door opened up underneath Mr. 3. "Huh? Ah!? Aaah!!" Mr. 3 screamed as he fell down the trap door, landing hard on the floor below. "Ugh!"  
  
Ms. Black's face gave nothing away, she had been down there when she was old enough to start training. No doubt people would consider Crocodile as abusive and cruel given how he had trained his adopted daughter from having her fight his pets to fighting her himself. But Ms. Black didn't see it that way, Crocodile cared about her well being and didn't want her to be captured again so he trained her to be strong.

Actions spoke louder than words.

The panther was trained in many things, from hybrid martial arts to knowing how to seduce a man without even having to sleep with him.  
  
Her favorite was learning how to kill a man and make it look like he killed himself or that he was killed in a freak accident.  
  
Crocodile walked over to the window and tapped on it, pointing down with his hook when one of his pet bananagators swam over to it. "Time to eat." He said, watching as it swam away heading to one of the tunnels.  
  
Mr. 3 sat up and looked around, "What is this place!? I'm underwater!?" He looked out and felt all the blood rush from his face. "It's a huge aquarium!!" He looked over when he heard movement, his eyes widening in horror. "B-bananagator!!"  
  
From the room, they heard a blood curdling scream.  
  
"Now listen you. Burn these faces into your memory!!" Crocodile said as he walked back to his seat and sat down, Ms. Black sitting down once more on the arm of the chair. "They want to stop the rebellion!! They'll be coming no matter what!!"  
  
"But, Mr. Zero, even if she is the princess how can she possibly stop the rebels at this point!!?" Mr. 2 asked.  
  
"I've learned from Ms. Black, that Koza, the leader of the rebels and Princess Nefeltari Vivi were childhood friends," Crocodile answered. "The rebels are 7000,000 strong. She can't defeat them militarily but the sight of her might soften their hearts! We cannot allow those two to meet!!! Some of my Billions have infiltrated the rebel forces. Vivi must not make contact with the rebel forces!! Ms. All Sunday."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"This is urgent. Use the Den Den Mushi. Contact the Billions in Nanohana!! Order them to find those pirates and eliminate them immediately!!! The Princess must not reach Katorea!!! Vivi and Koza must not meet!!!"  
  
"As you wish." Ms. All Sunday said.  
  
"Now go, all of you. You'll be late for the party," Crocodile said as the agents stood up. "It is the eve of our utopia." He took out his cigar as Mr. 3's cloak floated down past the window. "Nothing must thwart us!!"  
  
"Leave it to us, Boss!!"  
  
"We'll take care of it!!!"  
  
Crocodile put his cigar back in his mouth and said, smirking, "Have fun."  
  
Ms. Black watched as they left the room, leaving only her and Crocodile alone. "So what's my mission?"  
  
"Remain by my side from now on," Crocodile said. "I need you with me and not off hunting worthless little mice."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"You may go."  
  
Ms. Black bowed before she turned and left the room, as she walked a memory came up. One that had started to resurface when Crocodile had mentioned Water 7...

================================================

_Ms. Black entered the office of Mr. Zero, she walked over to his desk and stood in front of it with her hands clasped behind her back as he finished up writing something down.  
  
"I have a someone for you to kill, girl." Mr. Zero said as he sat back and blew out a puff of smoke from his mouth, and around his cigar before he handed her a folder.  
  
Ms. Black took it from him and opening it, her green eyes scanning the papers inside before she finds a picture and takes it out. She looked at the man with narrowed green eyes.  
  
"You have his face in your head now?"  
  
"Yes."   
  
Another puff blew out before he said, "Good, leave the folder here and go get rid of him. You can take the picture with you though."  
  
"Yes, Mr. Zero." Ms. Black said as she tossed the folder down of his desk and turned around, walking out of the room.  
_

_\-----------------  
_

_Ms. Black stepped on the sea train at Water 7, she reached down and tugged at the sleeve of her blazer dress to straighten it out. She walked over to the map and looked it over, tracing her finger over it until it landed on a bar called Blueno's Bar.  
  
Maybe she'll get the information of the man she is hunting there...  
_

_She turned around and walked away, she rented a Yagara and headed to the bar after she pays for it. Ms. Black ignored the cat calls aimed at her as she thought about her boss and her mission here. Mr. Zero was an impatient man when it came to traitors living past their expiration date and it had taken her longer than normal to find this man._

_The traitor was planning to tell an agent of the World Government about_ _Operation Utopia and she had been tasked to find him, and kill him before he could do that._

_  
Ms. Black didn't like it when her prey were hard to find but she also hated it when they were too easy to find.  
  
She eventually arrived at the bar and pushed the door open, all conversation stopped as every eye in the bar turned to look at the newcomer. Ms. Black doesn't even react to the stares as she entered the bar and headed straight to the counter, walking passed three men that were seated at a table (she noted that one of the men had a white pigeon on his shoulder that had a tie around its neck, that was adorable) she sat down on one of the stools and crossed her leg over the other.  
  
"What can I do for you, Miss?" The bartender asked.  
  
Ms. Black reached into the pocket of her blazer dress and pulled out a picture of the man. "Have you seen this man before?" Her prey looked like an average man, nothing special about him.  
  
The man took the picture from her and looked it over before he handed it back to her as he said, "I've seen him in here once or twice. Why? Did he do something bad?"  
  
"You can say that," Ms. Black said. "Do you know where he lives?"  
  
The bartender opened his mouth to say something but a man's voice stopped him just as an arm was draped over her shoulder, "Hey, why do you have such a serious look on your pretty face?"  
  
Ms. Black's nose wrinkled when she caught his scent, ugh did he bathe in booze before he got here?  
  
"Go away." She said as she shrugged his arm off. "I'm not here to play with drunks." Her posture turned from a relaxed one to a slightly threatening one, she hated being touched by anyone without permission.  
  
"Aw, don't be like that, sweetheart, I'll treat you nice." He said before he laughed.  
  
"...I'm sorry." Ms. Black said to the bartender.  
  
"Uh?"  
  
"Huh?" The drunkard said just before a fist met his face and sent him flying, breaking the doors and landing into the water.  
  
She stood up and placed a wad of beries onto the counter, "Here's for the damages." Ms. Black started to walk towards the door.  
  
"Wait.."  
  
Ms. Black stopped walking and looked over her shoulder at the bartender who was holding up a folded piece of paper, "Here's the directions to his boat, he usually sleeps in there when he's drunk."  
  
She is silent as she turned around and headed back to the counter, she grabbed the paper and bowed saying, "Thank you." Before she straightened, turned and walked out of the bar without even looking back.  
_

_\------------------------_

_Ms. Black walked down the gangplank of a ship, wiping blood off her hands with a black handkerchief before she put the cloth back into her pocket and pulled out a black tube and circular metal object. She opened it to reveal it to be lipstick, she then reapplied her trademark[lipstick](https://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?https://i.pinimg.com/564x/6f/27/d4/6f27d4098fdc17eb729e8748a90d01ad.jpg) on her lips with a small hand held mirror.  
  
She returned them to her pocket once she was done before pulling out a match and lighting it, she tossed it over her shoulder as soon as her second foot left the plank and it hit the trail of oil that she had put on earlier before she killed him. Ms. Black doesn't look back at the oil caught fire and raced up the wooden plank, heading to the ship to catch the rest of it on fire and to hide any evidence of foul play.  
  
She then disappeared as soon as people started to notice the burning ship.... _

======================================

She had felt like someone was watching her during that time but when she had looked around, she hadn't seen anyone but the feeling of being watched had followed her all the way back to the train station.  
  
Ms. Black was impressed despite herself and that was something that doesn't happen often. 


	6. Rainbase, the City of Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention that when she was in Water 7 for the first time to kill a traitor, her hair was shoulder length but still covered her eye. And with short hair, she looked very different...hard to explain xD it's only when Rob hears her speak is when he realizes that he had seen her before lol
> 
> If you want to know what Veles aka Ms. Black sound like, go watch Who Framed Roger Rabbit and listen to Jessica Rabbit talk. That is Veles' voice and singing voice too.
> 
> I don't own the song.

Veles walked onto the stage, wearing an black [dress](https://sta.sh/01m6f3kmkfu7) with her hair done up nicely and showing both eyes, she nodded to the band, she started to sway her hips as soon as the upbeat song started to play and she grabbed the mic, pulling it towards her to start singing the fifth song of the day.

 **"♪Don't tell me that you don't like, Anything about me I've seen in your eyes that look, You think that I don't notice Don't hide what you feel inside Maybe I can feel the same.♫"** Veles sang into the mic, she placed her hands on her swaying hips. **"♪What to do it's up to you So maybe you should try again Or maybe you'll just fade away yeah.♫"**

 **"♪Betcha neva betcha neva Betcha neva thought we'd get this far Betcha neva never ever Betcha neva thought you'd touch my heart Betcha neva betcha neva.♫"** She winked as she wiggled her finger and pointed at man seated in front of the stage. **"♪Betcha neva thought that I'd surrender Betcha neva thought that you would ever get with me I Betcha neva thought of that.♫"** She wiggled her hips causing wolf whistles to go through the crowd. **"♪Don't you be afraid to try, 'Cos you don't even know me Why can't you read between the lines,♫"** Veles took the mic off the stand and started to walk the stage as she sang. **"♪You know how it should be Don't hide what you feel inside, Maybe I could feel the same.♫"**

Veles spun in a circle as she swayed to the beat of the song, **"♪What to do it's up to you So maybe you should try again Or maybe you'll just fade away yeah.♫"**

 **"♪Betcha neva betcha neva Betcha neva thought we'd get this far Betcha neva never ever Betcha neva thought you'd touch my heart.♫"** Veles placed her hand over her heart and smiled up at the eyes. **"♪Betcha neva betcha neva Betcha neva thought that I'd surrender Betcha neva thought that you would ever get with me I Betcha neva thought of that.♫"**

 **"♪What to do it's up to you So maybe you should try again Or maybe you'll just fade away yeah.♫"** She walked back to the mic stand and placed the mic back as she spun in a circle again, her hips swaying and shoulders rolling. **"♪Betcha neva betcha neva Betcha neva thought we'd get this far Betcha neva never ever Betcha neva thought you'd touch my heart.♫"** She touched her heart again and then pointed out to the crowd, winking as she did so. **"♪Betcha neva betcha neva Betcha neva thought that I'd surrender Betcha neva thought that you would ever get with me I Betcha neva thought of that.♫"**

 **"♪Betcha neva betcha neva Betcha neva thought we'd get this far Betcha neva never ever Betcha neva thought you'd touch my heart.♫"** Veles once again touched her heart but she angled her body to the side and makes a grand swiping gesture with her other arm. **"♪Betcha neva betcha neva Betcha neva thought that I'd surrender Betcha neva thought that you would ever get with me I Betcha neva thought of that.♫"**

She threw her arms up and crossed them, throwing her head back as the song ended.

And as always, she received a standing ovation.  
  
Veles bowed before she turned and headed down the stairs but on her way to the dressing room, one of the waiters brought her a note on a silver tray. She took it with a nod of thanks, waiting until the waiter was gone before she opened it.

**They are here.**

She smirked before took a lighter from a customer and burned the letter then she went to her dressing room to change, it was about time they got here.  
  
Veles was starting to get bored.

\----------------------------------------

"Vivi and the pirates are here?!" Ms. Black heard Crocodile say as she entered the room via the hidden door.   
  
"Yes. I just got word from the Millions." Ms. All Sunday replied, bowing her head to the other woman in silent greeting.  
  
Ms. Black returned the greeting as she walked to the table with a slight sway of her hips, there was no over the top swaying that Ms. Doublefinger tended to do. The assassin moved with a sensual grace that seemed to come naturally to her and was subtle to draw the eyes unintentionally to her.  
  
But that's only when she wasn't after her prey.  
  
Crocodile laughed before he said, "Go greet those fools!!"  
  
"Yes, sir." Ms. All Sunday said before she left the room, leaving the two alone.  
  
The assassin sat down on the edge of the table, crossing her legs in one smooth motion interlacing her hands together as she rested them on top of the upper leg. "It'll be amusing to see them again~" She purred with a smirk.  
  
"They won't be leaving this city alive." Crocodile stated.  
  
Ms. Black licked her upper lip as her eyes narrowed, excitement coursing through her at the mere thought of finally killing them. That is if Crocodile gives her the order. 

\-------------------------------------------------

Ms. Black was honestly surprised by how stupid their Captain was that he had missed such an obvious trap though the marine captain wasn't any better, having followed them right into the trap. And she didn't even know why she had gotten excited, their Captain didn't even know about sea prism stones and that it had the ability to weak devil fruit users.  
  
She learned that lesson the hard way when Crocodile had been training her in the art of killing, he had even brought in a six power master as well as a haki master to train her to kill other devil fruit users.  
  
The upper number agents were all devil fruit users after all and betrayal happened no matter what number you were. Like Ms. Wednesday and the late Mr. 8 though neither one of them are devil fruit users.   
  
Crocodile and her listened to their conversation in silence, the assassin rolling her eyes when Smoker had to explain to them why Luffy was so weak whenever he touched the bars. How he even got people to join his crew was beyond her, he was an idiot to not figure it out on his own. "He's right. Give it a rest." Crocodile said, breaking his silence. "Since you're going to die together, you might as well be friends."  
  
"Crocodile!" Smoker growled as he glared at Crocodile, his eyes going to the woman seated on the table. This woman was unknown to him and the World Government, he had never once heard or seen a picture of this woman in black. He didn't even know if any of the CP units know about her.  
  
Not that they would share if they did.   
  
Ms. Black simply have him a closed eye mocking smile.  
  
And this woman looked familiar to him but he didn't know why, it felt like he had seen that same closed eye mocking smile before.  
  
"Oh-ho! You're a mad dog, just like they say, Smoker." Crocodile said with a smirk. "You don't even consider me as ally. And you're right not to. It's my guess you're here on your own authority." The woman stood up and walked over to Crocodile, she sat on the arm of his chair, her upper back turned towards the sea prism cell while Crocodile stood up. "The World Government trusts me completely. They'd never stick the Navy on me. Don't worry. I'll tell the Government that you died bravely fighting the puny Straw Hats! Ha ha!"  
  
"So he's one of the 'Seven Warlords of the sea,' eh?" Zoro asked as Nami and Usopp threw their arms in fear while tears streamed down their cheeks.  
  
Ms. Black chuckled at their reaction, her tongue running over her lower lip in a slow manner. "Fear has such a nice smell~"  
  
"Eep!"  
  
"You're...Crocodile?!!" Luffy said weakly as he rolled over before he shot up and grabbed the bars that caused Ms. Black to look at him. " **HEY, YOU!!!** Fight...me..." He collapsed, weakened.  
  
"Stop touching the bars!!" Usopp yelled at him.  
  
She shook her head, he really was an idiot. How could he forget that everytime he touches those bars, he'll get weakened? Ms. Black had learned that the very first time she touched as a child and had figured it out without Crocodile telling her. Oh, he explained why after she had asked him, just to clarify her guess.  
  
"You did well to make it this far, Straw Hat." Crocodile said. "I never thought I'd get to meet you in person. And now that I have, I'm going to kill you." A smirk curled his lips. "But the guest of honor hasn't arrived yet. I've sent my partner to fetch her." He would have sent Ms. Black but she tended to get a bit...rough when it came to fetching someone that he wanted alive.  
  
He had made her a bit too bloodthirsty, which didn't help with the natural blood lust of the predator zoan types. Crocodile was just grateful that she had seemed to get a better control over it as she grew older, when she had been a child it had been hard to snap her out of it. He had to resort to tossing her into a tub filled with sea water and dumping it out before she drowned.  
  
She had learned start getting control over it after that first time actually now that he thought about it.  
  
Ms. Black stood up at that and bowed as she said, "I'll get your meal, sir." She left the room and returning pushing a cart that had trays and a bottle on wine on it. The woman started to set up the table with an ease that said that she had done this many times.  
  
Smoker watched her and said, "Who is she?"  
  
"Ah, please forgive me rudeness." Crocodile said in a mocking polite tone as he sat down once more. "I guess I can tell you who she is since you'll be dead soon. This is my adopted brat, Ms. Black, who acts as my personal assassin." He smirked. "Don't worry, I haven't given her the order to kill you...yet."  
  
Ms. Black looked at them and smiled a smile that had Usopp and Nami shivering in fear. This woman was so scary!  
  
Crocodile chuckled in response, she was truly _her_ daughter.  
  
The black haired woman looked away as she finished setting up the table and stepped away so she was standing just behind his chair, her eyes watching their prison. Eventually Luffy got bored and started to pretending to be Sanji, he figured that he might as well kill time since they couldn't get out.  
  
"I'm Sanji. "Who ate all the meat?" Luffy said as he pretended to smoke.  
  
Usopp, forgetting his fear over Crocodile and Ms. Black, started to laugh at least until Nami came over and hit them on the head. **"STOP FOOLING AROUND!! WE'RE IN BIG TROUBLE!! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!"**  
  
"We can't get out, so we have a lot of time to kill."  
  
"You should be working on a way out, not killing time!!! We could get killed in here!!!" Nami shouted before turning her anger onto the sleeping Zoro. "...And you! Stop napping!!"  
  
"Morning already?"  
  
 **"IT'S STILL THE SAME DAY!!"**  
  
"You're a spirited young lady." Crocodile said, breaking his silence.  
  
"You rat!! Enjoy that sense of control while you can!!" Nami said as she threw an arm out while the other rested on her hip. "When these guys get out of this cage they'll kick your butt higher than the clouds!! Right, Luffy?"  
  
Luffy threw his arms up as he shouted, **"RIGHT!!"**  
  
"She has a great deal of trust in you, Straw Hat. But trust..." He looked over at them and laughed. "...Is the most overrated thing in the world." He wouldn't say it outloud by the only two people he trusted was Ms. Black and _her_.  
  
"That rat! Making fools of us!!" Nami growled, gritting her teeth in anger.  
  
"S-stop! You'll make him mad."  
  
Ms. Black laughed causing Nami to look at her. "Oh...I'm sorry but I couldn't help but laugh."  
  
"What's so funny?" Nami demanded, glaring at the woman.  
  
Ms. Black rose an eyebrow at the tone and glare that the orange haired girl directed at her. "Oh...you are, little mouse, you are a coward but you do seem like the type to act tough when your opponent is weaker than you or has been weakened by your stronger crewmates." The assassin stated with a smirk. "And you view yourself as a pirate? How amusing."  
  
"Enough, Ms. Black." Crocodile ordered without looking at the black haired woman.  
  
"Yes, sir." She said with a bow of her head, submissive and loyal but only to him and when the mood struck her. At least the submissive part, she was cat and cats were not known to be submissive.  
  
He never had to question her loyalty to him, he had seen first hand how far she'd go to prove her loyalty.  
  
 **"CROCODILE!!!"**  
  
He and Ms. Black both looked over to the stairs to see Princess Vivi standing near the top of the stairs with Ms. All Sunday right above her.  
  
"..."  
  
"..."  
  
 **"VIVI!!"**  
  
 **"VIVI?!"**  
  
"..."  
  
"Why, Princess Vivi of Alabasta! Welcome!" Crocodile said with a smirk, holding up his arms but remaining seated. "Or should I call you Ms. Wednesday? You did well to get past my assassins and make it this far."  
  
"I'd go to the ends of the earth to get you!!! That's how badly I want you dead, Mr. 0!!!"  
  
"Oh, I won't die, Ms. Wednesday, but your miserable little kingdom soon will.." Crocodile said, making a discreet hand gesture to Ms. Black who stepped away from him.  
  
Like he knew how the Princess would respond to his words and didn't want Ms. Black to intervene.   
  
Vivi ran down the stairs, pulling out her weapons as she shouted, **"IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU, ALABASTA WOULD STILL BE AT PEACE!!!"**  
  
"Wait, Vivi!! Open the cage! Let us out!!"  
  
"Vivi!!"  
  
"..."  
  
"Peacock String Slasher!!"  
  
"..." Crocodile raised a cigar to his mouth, his eyes closed and seemingly not at all bothered by the attack coming at him.  
  
Ms. Black just watched with an unreadable look on her face.  
  
Vivi sliced off his head along with the top of his chair.  
  
"Whoa!!"  
  
"It's no use." Smoker stated as he watched.  
  
Vivi landed on the table as Crocodile's body turned into sand, Ms. Black's dark red painted lips slowly curled up to form a half smile.  
  
"Happy now? Ms. Wednesday?" Crocodile appeared behind her, grabbing the Princess. "As Princess of this Kingdom, you must know about my powers of the Sand-Sand Fruit. How would you like to become a mummy?" The only other person who didn't seem surprised that he was still alive was Ms. Black.  
  
Vivi shuddered in fear at the threat.  
  
"Aah!! S-sandman!!" Usopp shouted in fear.  
  
Luffy started to hit the bars as he shouted in anger. **"HEY!! TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF VIVI!! I'M GONNA KICK YOUR BUTT!!!"**  
  
"What a foolish girl, did she honestly forget about his devil fruit ability?" Ms. Black said with a heavy sigh, shaking her head. "And you didn't tell your friends? What a pity."  
  
Crocodile pushed Vivi into a chair, motioning to Ms. Black to guard her. The woman moved to stand next to the Princess, placing a hand on her shoulder and applying just enough pressure to make it only a bit uncomfortable for the girl.  
  
"Sit down." He said, stepping down from the table and walking away. "Don't glare at me like that. It's almost time...for the party to begin. Isn't that right, Ms. All Sunday, Ms. Black?"  
  
Ms. All Sunday pulled out a watch, looking at the time. "Yes...it's 7 o'clock."  
  
"How exciting~" Ms. Black purred, enjoying the looks of confusion on their prisoners' faces.


	7. Bananagator

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crocodile does care about Veles, he just doesn't show it that much. He believes in actions rather then words and he has shown that he cares about Veles many times.

Crocodile was laughing after he had told them what had started at 7 o'clock to the prisoners, during that time Ms. Black had tied Princess Vivi's wrists up behind her back but was seated on the table next to the Princess with her legs crossed. The dark haired woman was filing her nails, looking entirely too disinterested with the whole thing. Being as cruel and ruthless as the man she worked for.  
  
"It's begun." Zoro stated.  
  
Usopp looked angry but didn't voice it.  
  
"You--!!" Luffy gritted his teeth angrily.  
  
"How could you...!!" Nami demanded.  
  
"Well, what do you think, Ms. Wednesday? The master plan that you were once a part of is finally coming to fruition! Listen carefully and you can hear the death rattle of Alabasta!!!" Crocodile said. "And all of them believing that **they** are the ones defending Alabasta!!!"  
  
 **"STOP IT!!"** Vivi screamed. **"HOW COULD YOU DO SUCH A THING?! IT'S INHUMAN!!"**  
  
Crocodile chuckled before saying sarcastically, "Your love for your country moves me to tears, Princess. But that love will destroy Alabasta!!"  
  
"This guy gives scoundrels a bad name." Zoro said.  
  
"And you give pirates a bad name." Came the cool retort from Ms. Black, her green eyes flicking up to lock eyes with Zoro before looking back at her nails.  
  
Zoro glared at her but she seemed to not notice or didn't care.  
  
 **"YOU LOUSY RAT!! IF IT WEREN'T FOR THIS CAGE, I'D...!"**  
  
The warlord chuckled and said, "I had to overcome a great many obstacles to get to this point...I had to find the right people. I had to raise enough money to buy the silver needed to manufacture dance powder." He listed off the many things that he had to do in order to get to this point. "I had to orchestrate acts of sabotage in order to destroy crumbling towns. I had to have my people spread rumors that they had been wronged by the king's army. I had to undermine the people's trust in their king at every turn until all their frustrations were overflowing!!!" He motioned to Ms. Black. "And I had to send her to kill any traitors that suddenly got a change of heart."  
  
"The mice begged for mercy but didn't find it with me." Ms. Black said with a smirk.  
  
Crocodile chuckled before he looked at Vivi and asked, "Do you know why I want Alabasta this bad, Ms. Wednesday?"  
  
"How should I know what goes on in that rotten mind of yours?!" Vivi snapped.   
  
Vivi's head was snapped to one side by the slap that Ms. Black had given her, it was hard enough that the room echoed with the sound of it.  
  
Ms. Black's face was stoic, not giving any emotion away that would tell them if she was upset by what Vivi had said to the warlord.  
  
Except for Crocodile and Ms. All-Sunday who knew that she was angry. She doesn't lash out like that randomly after all, they knew how loyal Ms. Black was to her adopted father.  
  
"Hey!" The Straw Hats shouted, angry.  
  
Though Nami and Usopp were quickly cowed by the look the woman in black gave them, Ms. Black looked away from them. Her green eyes meeting those of the princess who was glaring up at her with a red hand print on her face.  
  
Ms. Black just raised an eyebrow in response, silently daring her to open her mouth to insult him again.  
  
Crocodile chuckled as he held out his hand, to which the woman immediately obeyed the non-verbal command and stepped away from the Princess. "Thank you, Ms. Black." He turned to face the Princess. "Such a sharp tongue for a princess."  
  
Smoker and Ms. All Sunday are silent as they watched.  
  
Vivi started to thrashed in the chair until it fell sideways and she started to worm her way across the floor.  
  
"Come now...what are you trying to do, Ms. Wednesday?"  
  
 **"I'M GOING TO STOP IT!!!"**  
  
"Vivi..."  
  
 **"THERE'S STILL TIME!!! I JUST HAVE TO GET TO ALUBARNA!! IF I CAN GET THERE BEFORE THE REBEL ARMY DOES I MIGHT BE ABLE TO PREVENT THE SLAUGHTER!!!"**  
  
Ms. Black snorted when she heard that, that was a stupid idea and something a bleeding heart would say and believe. There was no way that mere words could stop this battle, especially not after what had happened in Nanohana.  
  
This kingdom was finished.  
  
"What a coincidence. We were just about to leave for Alubarna ourselves. I need to ask your father a certain question!" Crocodile said with a smirk.  
  
"Haven't you done enough to my father?!" Vivi demanded, stopping her crawling to sit up and turn to face the warlord.  
  
"Hmm? Who do you value more -- your father or your people?" Crocodile asked while he reached into the pocket of his blazer, pulling out a key. "But you're welcome to come with us, if you wish."  
  
"That's a key!!" Vivi shouted.  
  
"Is that the key to this cage?!" Luffy demanded. "Hand it over, you jerk!!"  
  
Crocodile silently tossed the key down.  
  
"Ah!" Luffy shouted, his eyes almost bugging out when he saw a trap door open when Crocodile had clicked his heel on the ground with a smirk and the key fall down it.  
  
"What?! A trap door!!" The Princess of Alabasta shouted in surprise.  
  
"The choice is yours, Ms. Wednesday." Crocodile said. "Yes, there's still time to prevent the rebels and the king's soldiers from butchering each other. You have about eight hours before the slaughter begins. But I don't think you're going to make it. It would take you longer than that to reach Alubarna from here. If you want to stop the rebellion, you'll have to leave right now, Ms. Wednesday." He chuckled. "Otherwise hundreds of thousands will perish! Of course, you **could** stay here and save your friends. You just have to open the cage for them. Unfortunately, I accidentally dropped the key."  
  
"Is that the bananagators' pen?"  
  
"Well, there are your choices."  
  
"Bananagators?" Luffy asked then he saw a shape swim passed a window. "Hey! Look!! There are weird gators growing out of those bananas!!"  
  
Ms. Black rolled her eyes and would have facepalmed at his stupidity but her training kept her from showing that reaction.  
  
"What the--?! They're enormous!!"  
  
"We-we're in an underwater chamber!!"  
  
"What weird bananas."  
  
"Look again, stupid. The bananas are growing out of the gators. It's the gators that are weird."  
  
 _I can't believe that they are talking about how weird the gators look instead of worrying about the key_ , Ms. Black thought.  
  
"Ah!!"  
  
Vivi's sudden shout caused everyone to look back at her.  
  
"That gator has the key!!"  
  
"What's the matter, Vivi?!!"  
  
"The bananagator swallowed the key to the cage!!"  
  
"What?! Go after it and make it spit it out!!"  
  
"I can't! Bananagators are ferocious! They even prey on sea monsters!!! If I go near them, they'll eat me up!!"  
  
"Oh, sorry about that. They think that anything that falls in there is food." Crocodile said, feigning an apologetic tone. "And how would you figure out which one swallowed the key anyway?"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"You beast!!" Nami growled angrily, her hands clenching into fist.  
  
"If we could just open this cage, I'd teach those lizards a lesson!!"  
  
"Duh, Zoro. We can't get out of this cage because one of them swallowed the key!!"  
  
"I know that!!"  
  
Ms. Black went to stand next to Crocodile and Ms. All Sunday.  
  
"Well, then we'll be going now." Crocodile said. "By the way...in one hour, this room will be one big fish tank. I used this secret room as president of Baroque Works, but I won't be needing it anymore. Soon the water will start pouring in as it sinks into Rainbase lake." The warlord held out his arms. "A multitude of innocent citizens or four no-account pirates. Make your choice, but you'll be lucky to save anyone. You have to decide whom to bet on, Ms. Wednesday. Do you like to gamble?" He laughed. "In a situation like this, even a princess is powerless. This country made my work easy. Since it's populated by idiots. Like the young rebels and that hole-digging man in Yuba!!"  
  
"What?! That dried-up old man?"  
  
"Oh...You know him?" Crocodile asked. "That oasis died a long time ago. But that stupid old man just keeps doggedly digging away." He laughed. "Doesn't that make you laugh? On he digs, heedless of those recurring sandstorms."  
  
"Why you--!!"  
  
"Let me ask you, Straw Hat..." The warlord interrupted him. **_"Did you really think it's_ natural _that sandstorms hit the same town over and over like that?"_  
**  
"What...do you mean?!" Vivi asked.  
  
"Could he have..." Nami trailed off, horror dawning on her.  
  
Crocodile smirked in response as he held out his hand and it turned into a swirling column of sand.  
  
 **"THAT WAS YOUR DOING?!"** Luffy demanded. **"I'LL KILL YOU!!"**  
  
"An empty threat since you are in a cage that you cannot escape from." Ms. Black said with a smirk. "And you don't look like the type to kill your enemies, no matter how angry they make you or how badly they hurt your friends."  
  
Crocodile turned around and walked out of the room with his two female companions on either side of him, laughing as Vivi's eyes welled up with tears. Water started to come up out of the trap door.  
  
"Aah!! The water's coming in!!"  
  
Ms. Black tuned out the whining of one of the Straw Hat cowards, she didn't know who it was but she, frankly, didn't care. She just wanted them to shut up.  
  
Luffy shouting the Princess's name had Ms. Black tuning back in.  
  
 **"VIVI!! DO SOMETHING!! GET US OUT OF HERE!!!"**  
  
"Luffy..." Vivi and Usopp said.  
  
Crocodile threw his head back with laughter. "Begging for your life, eh, Straw Hat?! But of course you are. Everyone fears death."  
  
 **"IF WE DIE HERE WHO'S GONNA KICK HIS BUTT?!!"**  
  
The warlord twitched at that while the assassin raised a shapely eyebrow as she looked over her shoulder at the Captain of the Straw Hats. That was laughable, this boy was a little greenhorn that shouldn't be acting like he could take on and defeat a seasoned pirate.   
  
Luffy's allies stared at him with various reactions.  
  
 ** _"Don't be so full of yourself, fish bait."_** Crocodile said as he looked over his shoulder to fix Straw Hat with a murderous look.  
  
 **"OH YEAH?! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S A MINNOW!!!"** Luffy glared at Crocodile.  
  
"He's one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!" Usopp shouted, he and Nami both had terrified looks on their faces.  
  
Their Captain didn't seem to care about that, she almost felt bad for them. Almost. But she knew that idiots did tend to flock together so his crew matched their Captain.  
  
One of the bananagators came up from a trap door in front of Crocodile and his two female companions, Ms. Black eyed the gator remembering the last time she had been this close to one. "Go." The warlord ordered the large lizard.  
  
"Oh!"  
  
"If you're going to abandon your friends, this would be a good time to do it, Ms. Wednesday. You want to stop the rebellion, don't you?" Crocodile asked with a chuckle.  
  
Ms. Black knew that the Princess would choose to save her friends, or at least try to, she didn't have any devil fruit powers or any real fighting skill.  
  
The peacock string that she wielded wasn't much of a weapon, it was easy to dodge.  
  
Vivi stood up as soon as the gator stepped into the larger area. "It's huge...!"  
  
 **"VIVI!! TAKE 'IM!!!"** Luffy yelled.  
  
"You're asking the impossible!! It's too big!!" Usopp yelled at him. "Vivi!! Run!! You can't win!! B-but save us!!"  
  
"You're the one asking the impossible!!"  
  
"Hey, look out the window!!"  
  
"They're waiting their turn!!!"  
  
"We're just lunch to them!"  
  
"Actually you're more like snacks to them." Ms. Black purred out with a smirk.  
  
 **"THAT'S NOT FUNNY!!!"** Nami and Usopp shouted together.  
  
Ms. Black rolled her eyes. "I wasn't trying to be funny, idiots."  
  
"Looks like you've made your choice. Very well. You just have to kill them all. The key is inside one of them." Crocodile said.  
  
"I wonder which one~." The woman in black said with a smirk. "Good luck trying to find it without being killed."  
  
The gator growled, opening its mouth.  
  
"Peacock String..."  
  
Vivi barely dodged in time to avoid getting eaten when the gator lunged forward and bit into the staircase behind her.  
  
"It's--!!"  
  
"It's fast!!"  
  
"It shattered those stone stairs with one bite!! What jaws!!"  
  
"Aaah!!!" Vivi cried out as she was knocked to the ground.  
  
"Vivi!!"  
  
"Go for the tail!!" Luffy shouted.  
  
"Darn it!! What can she do against a monster like that?!" Usopp shouted.  
  
"Vivi, get up!!"  
  
"Run!!!"  
  
"You'll be eaten alive!!"  
  
"Ow..." Vivi moaned as she struggled to get up.  
  
Looks like Princess' attempt to save her friend's ended as soon as it began...  
  
 _Purupurupuru_  
  
Ms. Black looked at Ms. All Sunday since the ringing was coming from the other dark haired woman.  
  
"...A call." Ms. All Sunday said as she pulled out the baby den den mushi and answered it. "Yes?"  
  
"Hello?"  
  
Ms. Black and Crocodile both looked at the baby den den mushi in her hand when they heard that familiar voice.  
  
It was the fake Mr. 3.  
  
The warlord looked at Ms. Black and nodded his head, it was time to reveal that they knew who this man was and to shatter the hope of the four Straw Hats in the cage. Ms. All Sunday handed the baby den den mushi to the other woman.  
  
"Well, well if it isn't the fake Mr. 3~," Ms. Black purred out. "Don't bother denying it, I knew it was you as soon as I heard your voice at Nanohana when we had our encounter."  
  
Silence.  
  
".... **WOW~~** Your voice sounds even sexier through a den den mushi~!"  
  
Ms. Black rolled her eyes. Can't this fool take this seriously? She had told him that she knew he wasn't Mr. 3 and therefore that meant that Crocodile also knew it. "...Thank you." She said flatly, her annoyance breaking through her façade.   
  
Crocodile shot her a look and she lowered her eyes, apologetic.  
  
"You are so polite~"  
  
"Where are you right now?" Crocodile asked, not at all interested at watching this greenhorn flirt with his adopted daughter.  
  
"I can't tell you that," Fake Mr. 3 said. "If I did, you'd come and kill me."   
  
"It wouldn't be me, I don't want to get my hands dirty killing a worthless greenhorn like you," Crocodile said. "I would send Ms. Black to kill you."  
  
"I don't fight women."  
  
"....How sweet," Ms. Black said smoothly. "But you will regret that choice." She was trained to take advantage of any sort of weakness so his chivalry nature will be a weakness that she will take advantage of despite the fact that she preferred it if her prey fought back.  
  
She hated weaklings and cowards.  
  
"SAVE US!!! WE'VE BEEN CAPTURED!! THERE'S NOT MUCH TIME!!!"  
  
Ms. Black and Crocodile glanced in the direction of their prisoners.  
  
"Ha ha...sounds like my shipmates are there with you." the fake Mr. 3 said. "Well, I think I'll just--" There was a gunshot and a cry of pain before the sound of something hitting the floor.  
  
Then panting could be heard before a new voice said, "That'll teach you. Hello? I've got 'im. What should I do now?"  
  
"Sanji?! No..."  
  
Ms. Black looked over at Vivi, her keen hearing had picked up his name.   
  
"Where are you?" Crocodile asked. "Tell me."  
  
"At the front of Rain Dinners."  
  
"That useless idiot!! He better not have gotten himself killed!!"  
  
"Sanji!!!"  
  
"Waah!!! Waah!!"  
  
"There goes our last hope!!!"  
  
Crocodile laughed. "Excellent! Let's go to the front gate."  
  
"Are you sure? The millions still don't know what you look like." Ms. All-Sunday said.  
  
"I'm not going there as the boss. Only numbered agents know our faces." Crocodile replied as he started to walk away. "I'll arouse no suspicion if I show up as Crocodile to investigate a commotion in front of my own casino." He stopped before he motioned Ms. Black to his side, the woman immediately obeyed the unspoken command and moved to stand next to him, the warlord raised his arm to place it around her shoulders before he dropped his voice to a whisper. "You go before us, keep a low profile and only watch. Do not act until told otherwise. You understand?"  
  
"Yes, sir."   
  
The warlord removed his arm and Ms. Black walked away, not looking back. She knew she would see him again in Alubarna.  
  


====================================================   
  


"Hey, you guys...." Smoker said.  
  
"How come you're so calm?!"  
  
"Help us think of something!!"  
  
"How much do you guys know....? What is Crocodile up to?!"  
  
?!  
  
"The two women with Crocodile, the one with the short black hair, the world government has had a bounty on her head for 20 years. A bounty of over 70 million berries!!"   
  
"What?! 70 million?! How come?!"  
  
"Same as Crocodile's," Nami said. "And the other woman?"  
  
".....I have a suspicion about who she is and you better hope nothing happens to her or you will be dealing with **_her_**." Smoker said and that woman isn't someone to take lightly.  
  
"What do you mean by that?!" Usopp and Nami asked, tears streaming down their cheeks.  
  
But Smoker didn't answer, instead he said. "From the moment Nico Robin joined forces with Crocodile, there's been more at stake than just the fate of this country. If they're not stopped, the whole world could be in trouble."  
  
Nami and Usopp forgot about the fact that Smoker hadn't answered their question.  
  
"The whole world?! What do you mean?!" Nami asked.  
  
"Th--that's b-big!!"  


====================================================  


Ms. Black arrived to where she kept her motorcycle, she swung her leg over the seat and sat down. The panther put her helmet on and turned on the bike, she gunned the engines and shoot down the street.  
  
She needed to get there before the rebel army did but most importantly before Crocodile does....


	8. Stowaways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to finish this arc so I pretty much wrapped up everything in one chapter though it's from Veles' POV for the first part.
> 
> This is an AU where the Vinsmoke siblings get along and are not assholes towards Sanji. Judge is still a grade A asshole.

_**Alubarna, Alabasta.** _

Ms. Black was wandering around Alubarna, having gotten there an hour before the Rebel army did. The panther had avoided detection from both forces.

As well as the Straw Hats who were engaged in battle with the Numbers of Baroque Works.

Ms. Black was watching the fight between Ms. Doublefinger and the orange haired girl from a bridge above them, neither had noticed their unexpected audience. She understood why the girl didn't but Ms. Doublefinger should have been able to notice her.

It was embarrassing and shameful since Ms. Doublefinger was a professional assassin, just like Ms. Black. 

Green eyes narrowed when she saw how Ms. Doublefinger was defeated.

Now that was _really_ embarrassing and shameful given how obvious that the girl didn't know how to use that party trick weapon of hers.

She sighed heavily before she vaulted over the edge of the bridge and landed behind the girl, as silent as a cat despite the fact that she was wearing stiletto heeled boots.

The panther straightened and walked over to the girl who was still unaware of the potential threat heading towards her, this girl was so obvious that it was painful. Ms. Black leaned forward until her head was next to the girl's. "Nice party trick, little mouse."

The girl screamed and jumped, crab walking away from the woman in black and turning to face her. The female Straw Hat pirate held out her weapon towards the woman, said weapon was quivering because the little mouse was so frightened.

"My, aren't you jumpy, little mouse."

"B-back off unless you want a taste of what happened to your friend!" The orange haired girl warned.

Ms. Black raised an eyebrow at the false bravado, it was obvious that she was frightened and intimidated by just her mere presence. "She wasn't my friend," she corrected. "And that was obviously an attack that could only be used once." She eyed the hole in the wall before looking back at the girl.

The orange haired girl twitched, letting Ms. Black know that she was correct in her assumption. 

A smirk curled full dark red lips. "Oh? You mean I guessed correctly? Lucky♡"

"Y-you're wrong!"

".....you gave it away, little mouse, so don't bother lying about it. I can smell the lie." She raised her hand to her nose, green eyes glittering in the light as she stared down at the girl.

The girl glowered at her. "Are you here to finish me off? I'm not afraid of you!"

"You're quaking in your sandals, girl, so I know you are lying," came the purred response from the panther zoan. "And no, I don't enjoy killing." Green eyes narrowed when she saw the girl's eyes brighten, misunderstanding her words as sympathy towards a wounded fighter. "You misunderstand me, girl. I am not interested in a little mouse who couldn't give me a proper fight. You will be too easy to kill. All you did during the fight was run away and rely on cheap tricks. You honestly think that mirage trick would work against me?" She shakes her head and taps the side of her nose. "I can easily sniff you out, mouse."

She reached inside the chest area of her blazer dress and pulled out a beautifully crafted pocket watch, opening it and looking at the time.

 _….in 23 minutes the square would be hit with a bomb_ , Ms. Black thought as she closed the watch and put it back.

Green eyes moved back to the girl who bristled, the panther sighed heavily before she turned away. "See you later, little mouse." With a dismissive wave, the panther started to walk away.

No longer interested in the mouse and the agent she had taken down with sheer luck.

"I advise against attacking me when my back is turned, little mouse, it will just make your death very painful and slow."

A frightened squeak came from behind her and something metal dropping to the floor.

Usually Ms. Black doesn't give such warnings but she did have the rare moments of sharing such keen wisdom.

Though she will only share this type of kindness with this mouse only once. The panther will expect her to remember this and not make that mistake in the future.

When she was far from the mouse, Ms. Black ceased walking and pulled out the pocket watch again. Looking at the time once more before her green eyes moved to the picture that had been put in the lid of the watch.

It was of her and Crocodile when she was a child, it had been taken a year after he had saved her. She had her arms wrapped around his neck and he was holding, their heads were together and their eyes were closed.

Crocodile had a look on his face that no one had ever seen before and she was honestly surprised that the photographer was allowed to leave with his life.

She smiled softly before she closed the pocket watch, putting it away.

The warlord was like a father to her, he had raised and cared for her. Not many people would think the warlord is capable of caring for others but Ms. Black knew differently.

It was a side of him that only she knew about.

 _Now to see how the other Straw Hats were doing_ , Ms. Black thought before she headed to where Mr. 1 had been fighting Zoro.

\---------------------

Ms. Black found an unconscious Mr. 1 on the road, green eyes had looked around for the swordsman but found that he wasn't there. The only evidence of him being there was blood on the ground and his scent lingering in the air.

The panther turned around and headed to where Mr. 2 had been fighting.

\----------------------------

And found the same situation: Mr. 2 unconscious on the ground and whoever he was fighting nowhere in sight.

Her nose twitched as she picked up the scent of cigarettes and cooking seasonings....this scent belonged to the the blonde haired man, the fake Mr. 3. Ms. Black turned around and headed to where Ms. Merry Christmas and Mr. 4 had been at. At this point she wasn't really expecting them to be standing.

\------------------------

Her eyebrows furrowed at the sight of the unconscious figures of Ms. Merry Christmas, the dog and Mr. 4. 

Well, this was fucking embarrassing. How did a group of seasoned fighters lose to a greenhorn group of pirates? She turned around, pulling out the pocket watch and checking the time.

_The bomb should be exploding soon but why do I have this sinking feeling in my gut?_

She uses a combination of Shave and Moonwalk to return to the city, heading to the plaza but she quickly skidded to a stop when she hears and sees the bomb go off directly over the city, sending a shock wave through the city that shattered glasses and broke the the tops of the tallest buildings. Ms. Black dodged the falling debris easily before she continued on her way.

She couldn't believe this! How was this happening?!

Was it skill or just dumb luck that these greenhorns were using to throw a wrench into Mr. 0's plans?! 

Once again the woman came skidding to a stop as she felt the ground starting to shake and crack, the panther quickly used Shave to move out of the way and when her feet touched down on the roof of a building that wasn't in the danger zone but also wasn't too far away. She turned around just as the ground buckled and exploded, green eyes narrowing when she sees a figure fly out of the hole that had just formed in the ground. Trying to see what and who it was before her eyes widen in horror and shock when she realizes that it was Crocodile.

"FATHER!!"

Veles felt the Ms. Black persona drop away at the sight of her father flying in the air, she once again uses the combination of Shave and Moonwalk to head where he had landed. 

She didn't registered that it was raining until she came to a stop on a roof of a building that was close to the plaza, panting heavily. All she could see was the unconscious figure of her father.

The panther wasn't aware of the people around her, she didn't care about the princess, the Straw Hats, the royal guards or the rebels. The only thing she cared about was lying in the middle of the plaza and she needed to get him out of here.

The Rebels started to yell up at the princess, still angry for what had happened at Nanohana and that was when Ms. Black made her move. Slipping into the throng of bodies while they were distracted by their anger, grabbing Crocodile and somehow getting him onto her back (she once again thanked the inhumane strength that she got from her zoan fruit abilities and Six Powers training because she knew she wouldn't be able to do this without it), and she walked out of the plaza without drawing any attention to her or her passenger.

It would only be a matter of time before they snapped out of their anger and listened to their princess, she needed to find a ship and get them both out of here before then.

It was her turn to save her father, she needed to return the favor....

\--------------------------

Ms. Black shifted so she could see behind them when she heard shouting coming from the direction that they had just came from.

Looks like they just noticed Crocodile was missing and was now looking for him, that was the Marines she could hear searching for him.

Green eyes moved to the face of the unconscious man on her back before she turned back around and started walking away, she just needed to get to where she had left her motorcycle and then head to one of the port cities to either steal a ship or buy passage out of here.

"...I'm not going to leave you, Father, I'm going to save you," Veles could feel her Ms. Black persona start to crack once again just as tears started to form in her eyes. "Just like you had save me..."

Dark eyes creaked open. “... Veles.”

The panther looked over her shoulder and smiled, coming to a stop once more. "You're awake. That's good, don't worry we'll be out of here soon." She started to walk again, trying to hide her surprise and worry of him being her name.

The sound of her name coming from her father brought on a sinking feeling in her gut.

“You... go on ahead.” Crocodile rumbled, lifting his head.

"Hell no." Veles hissed out, her stubborn side coming out. "I am not going to leave you, you didn't leave me when you saved me." Nor did he return her to her mother, he had kept her with him.

Veles never knew if it was because her mother had told him or he had decided it himself, she never was brave enough to ask him.

The panther looked behind her again, there was still distance between her and the marines. She walked into an ally and crouched down, letting him slid off her back before she turned to face him.

“Stubborn little brat...” Crocodile muttered, looking at her.

"But I'm _your_ stubborn little brat." Veles shot back, looking over her shoulder when she heard the marines getting closer before she looked back at him. "I will not leave you because you tell me to, you are all I have. Not even if you threaten me."

“You know I’m not all you have.” Crocodile didn’t move from his slumped position; everything hurt too much. “Your mother is out there, and with your potential, she’ll be waiting for you.”

"You are going to tell me who she is? Even though you said that she didn't want me to know anything about her?" Veles asked, a bit surprised because she knew how he felt towards her mom and would never break a promise to her. Crocodile only told her that her mother was still alive and that she couldn't be with her because of the Savage pirates, the same ones who stole Veles from her when she was three years old.

It was to protect Veles that kept her mom away, not lack of love.

She knew that she should remember her mom's face but she couldn't, being in the hands of Savage pirates care had driven every memory of her mom out. Except for the woodsy smell of cigarillo smoke and a warm hug.

“This is a promise I have to break... for both of you.” Crocodile gazed tiredly at her. “I know you’ve heard of the Uncrowned King... known as Mama Tiger.”

***

“Veles-chan?! Veles-cha~n!” Sanji ran through the streets, ignoring the twinge in his side and right leg. Had Veles been injured? Kidnapped?! Or worse?

He saw her in an alley but came to a screeching halt when he saw he saw who she was with. ‘Holy shit...!’

But Crocodile looked down for the count, and Veles looked so... sad. Sanji moved closer, listening.

"Yes, you told me about them. They hail from the New World but there's no bounty of them." At least not here in the Grand Line, she doesn't know about the New World. And Mama Tiger was known for being ruthless towards her enemies but loyal to her allies, Veles had heard last year that she had gone after the man who had murdered another Uncrowned King.

Veles' eyes widen as she picks up on what he was telling her quickly. " _She's_ my mother? Mama Tiger? You have a picture of her?"

Crocodile reached into the pocket of his vest. He pulled out a picture, relieved that it wasn’t affected by Straw Hat’s punches. “She is your mother...”

Veles carefully took the picture, easily picking up on how he relieved he was that it was still in one piece or wrinkled. In fact it still looked new, like he takes care of it.

She looked down at it and her eyes widen at the smiling face of the woman looking back at her. It was obvious this picture was taken when she was younger. "....She looks like me...I mean I look like her." Though her hair covered the opposite eye. "She's beautiful but her eyes are sad...did she really escape the Savage Pirates?"

Crocodile had told her that during the first week of her being with him, so she wouldn't think she had been abandoned by her mother. Her mother was still under the sway of the Savage Pirates and didn't think she was strong enough to protect Veles.

Crocodile nodded. “She did. She’s made it her life mission to wipe out slavery.”

Sanji lifted his head a little. He remembered the old geezer telling him about a woman pirate who freed slaves in the New World... this had to be the same woman.

And that life mission was what caused the Fleet Admiral to make the Uncrowned Kings, in order to protect the Celestial Dragons who the Savage Pirates work for. Veles knew about them and their slaves, they would be on her mother's list of enemies to kill.

"....if I leave you, would they take this from you?" She holds up the pristine picture, she could almost see the bloodbath happening if they did take it. "Should I keep it and give it back if you ever break free?"

“I’d appreciate it that.” Crocodile smirked. “I know you’ll take care of it.”

Veles sighs sadly, tears welling up in her eyes. "You cheated but you got your way, I'll leave you here like you want and escape," She throws her arms around him, being careful of his injuries. "I love you, Dad." Using a term that she hadn't used since she was younger. "Thank you for everything." She felt a tear slide down her cheek.

Crocodile put his right arm around her, returning the hug. “I love you too, brat... we’ll meet up again. I promise.”

"I know we will," Veles whispered, her voice cracking when he told her he loved her. "You're never one to sit around and do nothing for very long." She moved away when she heard the marines, even closer now. "See later, Dad." Then she leaves him without waiting for a reply, knowing that if she lingered even more she would not find the strength to leave him in the end.

Sanji lit a cigarette as he was waiting for her. “I’m sorry, Veles-chan.”

He knew that pain, of leaving family behind.

Veles came to a slow stop, her eyes moving to where she had heard the voice and saw the fake Mr. 3. "You're one of the Straw Hats...why are you sorry?" She asked, her eyes narrowing as she looks at him.

There was an aura of pain and sadness around him, her animal instincts was picking up on it.

“Leaving the ones you love behind is painful...” Sanji quietly. “Especially if you’re leaving them in a nightmare. I understand what you’re feeling.”

His one visible eye met hers. “Since I just heard about your family, I think it’s fair you know about mine. Have you ever heard of Germa 66?”

Veles looked behind her, picking up how the Marines found her father. She clenched her fist to stop herself from going back before she looked back at the cook.

"As in the comic strip? Yeah, I heard about them." She said, moving closer to the cook. The panther wasn't angry that he had overheard a private conversation, her focus was on the pain and sadness he was emitting.

Sanji scoffed. “That dumb comic... is real. My full name is Vinsmoke Sanji. The third prince of Germa.”

Veles stared at him in surprise then her eyes narrow, she picked up on the anger. "A prince? You don't seem happy about that. How was your relationship with your father?" Was he the nightmare that Sanji had mentioned about leaving his loved ones with? And was his loved ones his siblings or his mother?

“Vinsmoke Judge... is not my father.” Sanji stated. “My old man is running a restaurant in the East Blue. Judge experimented on me and my siblings. To him I was a failure, one he literally locked away.”

"He locked you away? Because you were a failure in his eyes?" She asked incredulously. The panther didn't know there were fathers like that out there, she had never been considered that by Crocodile. "You are obviously a strong and skilled fighter, I saw your handy work on Mr. 2 who wasn't exactly weak."

Sanji smirked at that. “Thanks... I’m pretty sure I broke a couple bones again. He was a weirdo but it was actually interesting to fight with someone who kicks like I do.”

"You're welcome," Veles said. "You are moving around well for someone with broken bones which tells me that you are used to it." She felt angry at the mere thought, despite Crocodile's reputation towards others, he never once struck her out of anger.

“I’ve built a tolerance since I was eight.” Sanji muttered. “My siblings were genetically enhanced... their bodies are resistant to bullets and even flames. They could swim against ocean currents, run for miles... and more. But not me, not then, at least.”

"You dad's an asshole and one that I will gladly kill." Veles growled out. "Who does that to their own kids?! Dad built up my strength and skill through good old hard work!" She was getting angrier, while she didn't know Sanji or his siblings, they didn't deserve what happened to them. "Where was your mom in all this?"

“... sick. To the point where she was bedridden.” Sanji became sad again. “It was something he did to her. I know it was... he operated on her when she was pregnant with me and my brothers. But that was all I could find out.”

Veles hadn't felt the need to kill someone painfully and slowly like this in such a long time, usually she killed in a detached manner. There was no emotion then but she felt emotions now. Sanji, their mom or his siblings didn't deserve that. "She isn't there anymore, is she?" She asked, something told her that their mother was dead now. "Do your siblings treat you like he does? Or like how your mother did?" It was obvious that she loved him while she didn't know his mother, it was obvious that she loved him dearly.

“They treated me like he did... but only in front of him and the servants.” Sanji explained. “We caught on that if they tried to side with me, he’d treat them like failures, too. Judge wanted them modified so that they couldn’t feel emotions, like guilt or sadness. But when it was just us... we planned. We’d talk about Mom.”

He took a picture out of his wallet. “They helped me escape the dungeon. I told them I’d come back some day.”

Veles gave Sanji a smile, one that softened her features and caused her eye to glitter. "They sound wonderful but it's sad that you guys couldn't be yourselves in front of him. Your mom sounds like an amazing woman, just like mine." She was jealous of those who got to see their moms or even remembered them. Veles takes the picture and looks at it, she sees a woman with five kids, one was a girl and there was a familiar looking boy there. "She's beautiful...and these are your siblings?"

Suddenly she reached out and grabbed his hand with her free one, squeezing it as she stares up at him. "I'll help you, I can't explain why right now but I want to help you and your siblings. You guys deserve happiness and to be with people who truly care and love you."

Sanji stared at her in surprise. “Really...? Veles-chan...”

He teared up. For once, he didn’t know what to say to a woman.

"Yeah, I'll kill your dad so his hold on you and your siblings can finally be gone," She said with a smile. Her dad had done that when he rescued her from the Savage Pirates, she wanted to die but he came for her and killed every single one of them. "You don't have to thank me, your tears is enough. I know how it feels to feel helpless and powerless."

“You’re so kind...” Sanji smiled at her. “Come on. Before the Marines head this way.”

Veles stared at him in shock. "You want me to come with you back to your crew? We were enemies not that long ago." Was he that trusting? She had no idea how to react to that.

“Where else can you go right now?” Sanji asked her. “The Marines are already in port. No one’s getting out... except us. Our ship is back in the outskirts from Yuba, and Vivi’s gonna help us lay low until we leave...”

“Sanji, what are you doing?!” A small voice was calling. “I told you not to move...!”

The reindeer from Luffy’s crew was hiding by a barrel... or trying to, and failing miserably since he was in plain sight.

"No offense but I doubt your princess friend would want me anywhere near her," She crossed her arms. "I was her enemy, she will not see me joining your crew as real." The princess will want to arrest her and give her to the Marines. "And that goes for the rest of your crew too."

Her green eyes moved to the new voice, she stared at the cutest thing that she had ever seen. "Hello there." She said to the reindeer with a kind smile.

“H-hello...” the reindeer gulped, realizing he had been seen. “Sanji, what’s she doing with you...?”

“She helped me earlier.” Sanji said quickly. “When I was fighting that cross-dresser.”

He squeezed Veles’ hand gently, glancing at her with a silent message: ‘Trust me. I know what I’m doing...’

Veles stared at him, understanding what he was trying to do. He was giving them a reason to trust her by letting them think she turned against Baroque Works.

She looks back at the reindeer and smiled. "Yes, Bon Clay was cheating by transforming into your female friend against him." Veles knew how Sanji was about fighting women, he didn't want to fight her when Crocodile had threatened to send her after him when they had some of his crew mates in a cage. "So I helped him, I don't have such problems."

Of course Veles hadn't exactly been nice during that time.

Chopper’s ears perked up, indicating his curiosity. “Oh... she did? Really?”

Sanji nodded.

“You can’t even fight a fake woman trying to kill you...?” Chopper sounded exasperated as he finally approached. “Is that a human thing or just a guy thing...?”

Veles handed Sanji back his picture before she knelt down, placing a gentle hand on Chopper's hat. "It's a guy thing but it's not a bad thing either, men shouldn't harm a lady but not many follow it," She said. "So the fact Sanji believes in it that much to not even hit a fake woman is something to admire." The panther smiles again. "And it's not something to judge him for though if it gets to the point where he almost dies for that belief, I will step in and finish the fight for him. Since I am a woman."

Chopper blinked several times with his big blue eyes, then nodded slowly. “Oh... okay, I think I understand.”

"Good," She patted his hat. "So who are you? Other then being simply too adorable for words?"

Chopper immediately blushed, waving his arms. “Ch-Chopper...! I’m the crew’s doctor! And your flattery doesn’t affect at all...!!”

The panther smiled and playfully tapped his little blue nose, she wanted to see that was his off switch. Though she did find his behavior to be cute too. "You must be a very good one despite your young age, Doctor. I look forward to seeing you when I am hurt or sick."

“I-I’m gonna be the best...!” Chopper declared, flailing even more. “I promised~!”

"It's always good," She said. "True men always keep their promises either to their loved ones or their friends." She looked over her shoulder at Sanji and smiled.

"But I will not be going with you to the Palace," the panther stood up. "There's someone I need to find and make sure that she is okay." Crocodile never once trusted Robin and Veles was worried about her friend and sister.

And while she had to leave Crocodile, she wasn't going to leave Robin.

“By yourself? Without supplies...?!” Chopper took her arm. “Are you injured at all?! Lemme see...”

Veles blinked in surprise, she wasn't excepting this level of concern for her well being before. Especially from a former enemy. "...No, I'm fine, I had been ordered to watch." She said, getting over her surprise and looking at Sanji before she looked back at Chopper. "I won't go far, she must still be in the city...I just don't know if she will be alright or not." 

She gently pulled her arm away and smiled. "Thank you for the concern, Doctor. I'll see you again soon." The panther turned around at that and left the two, she needed to find Robin and see if she was alright.

\-------------------------------------------

Veles followed the scent of blood and it lead her straight to the woman, the panther had learned to focus solely on one scent to track her prey down. And she knew the scent of Robin's blood very well. The panther walked over to her and crouched down, eyeing the wound. It looked like Crocodile had stabbed her with his hook.

"...I warned you that he didn't trust you, Robin. That you were going to be taking a gamble if you were not truthful and didn't hold your part of the deal." Her tone and the usage of the other woman's name would tell Robin that this wasn't Ms. Black speaking but Veles.

Robin gave a wry smile. “I know he didn’t. And I’ve witnessed worse things...”

Veles grimaced at that, knowing that she was referring to. The destruction of her home at the hands of the Navy using the Buster Call.

"I was invited to join the Straw Hats by their cook," She said. "And I am taking you with me." Veles didn't want to be in an unfamiliar place alone and she didn't want to leave Robin behind, like her she also didn't have anywhere else to go or to return to.

“I know where their ship is.” Robin told her. “... I was actually heading that way.”

Veles stared at her in silence before she adopted a feign hurt look. "You were going to leave me behind? After everything that had happened between us?"

“I had a good feeling you were going to follow me, anyway.” Robin still smiled.

Veles smirked before she stands up and picks Robin up gently, bridal style. "Oh yeah? Didn't you know that cats can be unpredictable and yet you were quite easy to predict what I was going to do, how scary~"

\----------------------------------------------

"By the way, sir, we still haven't found Ms. Black." Tashigi said, looking at Smoker.

Smoker blew out a puff of smoke before he replied, "I doubt you were going to find her in that city anyways but better leave her alone for now."

Tashigi looked at Smoker, confused. 

"Why, sir?"

Smoker pulled out his cigar and looked at the young woman. "I know who her mother is and she isn't someone you want to anger, she doesn't take too kindly to people messing with what she considers as hers. And Ms. Black is hers in very sense of the word." He should have known who she was related to as soon as he laid eyes on her.

"Who is her mother?"

The Captain sighed as he looked away and put his cigar back in his mouth. "The Uncrowned King, Mama Tiger."

Tashigi stood up at that, a look of horror and fear on her face. "WHAT?! SHE HAD A DAUGHTER?! WHY DIDN'T ANYONE KNOW ABOUT THAT?!"

Smoker blew out another stream of smoke before he said, "Because of who she is, Mama Tiger is a very secretive woman and she is dangerous. On top of that Ms. Black had been with Crocodile and no one knew about that until now." Why would a warlord adopt a daughter of the most infamous of the Uncrowned Kings? It didn't make sense unless Crocodile and Mama Tiger had a history together. "Like I said, just leave her alone for now."

Smoker had a feeling that investigating Mama Tiger's and Ms. Black's past was going to impossible....

\-------------------------------------------

"Well, it's about time. I thought you'd never leave that oversized sandbox."  
  
"I am happy to have left all those Marines behind."  
  
"Yeah." Zoro said as he ran a hand over his green hair then he seemed to realize that the two women speaking hadn't been Nami, there was no way the navigator would be able to talk in two different ways. He looked over his shoulder to see two familiar women standing there.  
  
Ms. All Sunday and Ms. Black.

Ignoring the panicking Usopp and Nami, the swordsman immediately drew two of his swords and held them at their necks, neither reacted that was usually excepted to having a naked blade at their necks: Ms. All Sunday looked amused while Ms. Black looked entirely too bored by his threat.

In fact it was Sanji and Chopper that reacted to it the threat that the swordsman making on them.

"She's nice! She helped Sanji!" Chopper shouted as he latched onto Zoro's leg.

Zoro looked at Sanji, snorting in disbelief. "Really? You expect me to believe that Crocodile's personal assassin switched sides on a whim?"

Ms. Black is silent as she watched Zoro and Sanji glare at each other.

“Yeah, she did, mosshead,” Sanji snapped. “She stepped in when that cross-dresser kept switching back to Nami during our fight.”

Zoro turned his attention back to the two women, it was obvious that he didn't trust them.

Ms. Black knocked the sword away from her neck before she knocked away the one at Ms. All Sunday's. "I can respect the fact that you don't trust us just because a member of your crew says that I am trustworthy and that I had helped them." 

"Veles...." Chopper and Sanji said, looking at the woman in black.

"I was taught that actions speak louder than words so Robin and I will prove that you can trust us." The panther gave a small smirk when she said that.

"How long have you two been on board?" Nami demanded, feeling brave enough to ask that since Zoro was standing between her and the two women.

"Oh, a while." Robin said as she grabbed a folding chair. "Ms. Black was able to sneak us over here while the Marines were too busy looking for you." She smiled at the other black haired woman. "She is really good at her job."

Veles doesn't return the smile, she just folds her arms over her chest and stares at the Straw Hats.

"I was below deck reading a bit and took a shower. I borrowed these clothes. They're yours, right?" Robin continued to say. "I didn't have the foresight to pack a bag like Ms. Black did."

"How dare you, you Baroque Works witch!!" Nami shouted, angrily.

The panther looked over at Nami who immediately cowered at the sight of her cold stare. The orange haired girl had a one on one encounter with the assassin after she had defeated Ms. Doublefinger but Ms. Black didn't attack her, saying that she wasn't interested in a little mouse who couldn't give her a proper fight.

Nami had been both offended and grateful for that. And it made her wonder just how long she had been watching the fight...

"Monkey D. Luffy...." Robin said.

"Huh?"

Robin started to set up the chair as she said, "You haven't forgotten what you did to me, have you?"

"WHY YOU!! WHAT DID YOU DO TO THIS BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, LUFFY?!" Sanji demanded as he started to shake Luffy.

"We don't want any trouble. Just get off the ship!"

"Hey, don't lie! I didn't do anything to you!"

"I suffered a great deal because of you." Robin said as she sat down while Veles remained standing. "Now take responsibility."

"Who is she?" Chopper wondered.

"Please leave. Or I'll call the Navy."

"Oh?" Veles pined a cold stare on Usopp who was hiding behind the mast. "You're going to call the Navy on yourselves as well?"

"Eep!!"

"What do you want anyway?"

Robin sat forward, propping her elbow on her leg and resting her chin in the palm of her hand as she smiled. "I want to join your crew."

"WHAT?!"

Veles pressed her lips together, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared at the Straw Hats.

"I wanted to die and you made me live. That's your crime," Robin explained before she motioned to the silent woman behind her. "We both have nowhere to go and nowhere to return to. So let us join your crew. And your cook had been kind enough to invite Veles to join the crew after she helped him defeat Mr. 2."

"Well, I guess it can't be helped." Luffy said. "Okay."

"LUFFY!!"

Luffy smiled at his crew. "Don't worry! They're not bad people!"

Veles just raised an eyebrow at that, her eyes going to Zoro who was still giving the two women distrustful looks.

Usopp proceeded to interrogate the new crew member, except for Veles who pined him with a cold stare.

"I was an archaeologist by the time I was eight. Then I had a bounty put on my head."

"An archaeologist?!"

"I come from a family of them."

Veles shifted behind Robin, her eyes looking down at the other woman with a hint of sadness in them before the look disappeared and she looked back at Usopp.

"For the next 20 years I hid from the government. But a child can't live on the high seas alone. I survived by joining various outlaw gangs. As a result, I became an expert at operating in the shadows. I can be a big help to you."

"Hmm...." Usopp glanced over at Veles who just raised an eyebrow before he yelped and looked back at Robin. "You're very confident. What's your specialty?"

Robin smirk. "Assassination♡" She motions to Veles. "Hers too."

A predatory smirk curled Veles' dark red lips.

"Luffy!! Upon interrogating her, I've concluded...they're both too dangerous!!"

"Ack!!"

"Oof!!"

Robin was playing with Luffy and Chopper with her devil fruit abilities, tickling them.

"DID YOU GUYS HEAR ME?!"

Robin smiled while Veles rolled her eyes.

"She's already won them over, the idiots."

"How foolish!" Robin, Usopp and Veles all looked up to see Nami sitting at the top of the stairs with her arms and legs crossed. "A few days ago, she was the vice-president of Baroque Works and she was Crocodile's personal assassin. That woman was Crocodile's partner! You may have fooled Luffy but you can't fool me. You two make one wrong move and I'll throw you out!"

Robin chuckled. "Yes. I'll keep that in mind."

Veles narrowed her eyes at Nami, not impressed or scared of the empty threat. She knew exactly how much of a coward this little mouse was.

"By the way, I brought a few of Crocodile's gems with me." Robin said as she places a bag on the table.

"OH! SISTER! ♡ I LOVE YOU!" Nami appeared instantly next to Robin's side, snuggling up to her with hearts in her eyes.

"......You are so pathetic," Veles growled out as she grabs the bag of gems, snapping Nami out of her greed induced daze. "You are this easy to bribe?"

"Hey! That's mine!" Nami snapped.

"Excuse me?" The panther growled, glaring at Nami.

"Now, now," Robin said as she pulled out another bag. "This isn't Crocodile's but you can have this." She had forgotten that Crocodile had stated that Veles would have inherited everything that belonged to him if anything should happen to him.

The panther scoffed and shook her head.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Usopp and Zoro said.

"Nami's hooked too!" Usopp said.

"What a dirty trick."

"Oh love ♡ oh drifting love ♡ I am but a charred piece of driftwood floating along your current." Sanji danced as he carried a tray towards the two women, heart shaped eyes. "The thunderbolt of your beauty has struck me...I am but a driftwood being splintered by the rapids. I made you a snack. ♡"

Robin smiled. "Thank you."

"Thank you." The panther smiled at him, taking one of the plates. The cook had made a blackberry cobbler, Veles took a bit and unintentionally purred in response. "This is so good! ♡"

"I am so happy that you like it, Veles-cha~n ♡!!"

Veles smiled. "Blackberry cobbler is my favorite though it would have gone nicely with a glass of wine."

"I'll be right back with your wine, Veles-cha~n!!" The cook shot off, leaving a literal dust cloud in his wake as he goes to fulfill Veles' request. The panther does a throaty chuckle, amused by his antics.

"And there goes Sanji."

"He never had a chance."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Veles knows about Robin's past.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if you are a fan of Nami but I honestly couldn't get past the first introducing of her and she just got worst after the time skip.


End file.
